In the dark
by GigiMusic
Summary: Something is rotten in the state of New York...and whatever it is, it is threatening both Above and Underground. As a result, Sarah Williams finds herself fighting creatures beyond imagination, as well as being reunited with a certain king. Sarah/Jareth
1. Everyone says hi

In the dark

**A/n: I don't own the Labyrinth. If I did I wouldn't be a broke psychology student who writes fanfiction as a hobby. Most of the chapter titles refer to the amazing work of David Bowie. The songs I refer to are obviously not mine either. All I own are his cd's.**

**I know it's uncommon in Labyfic to write in first person. However, I'm going to try, I like a challenge ;). This story is unbeta'd and English is not my maternal language. I''m sorry if there are any typo's.**

Chapter 1: Everyone says 'hi'

I have been staring at the blank white page on her computer screen for over an hour. Unfortunately, still no words come to mind.

I am Sarah Williams, 25 years old, a screen- and play-writer , living in New York City. I absolutely love my job and since my last script for a sitcom has been sold and I won a prize for my last screenplay, I also make a decent amount of money.

I absolutely hate having a writers' block.

When I was a teen, I wanted to follow my mother's footsteps and become an actress. However, after one rather _exciting_ evening, I realized my ambition was based on the fact that I wanted to be closer to her, not because I truly loved acting so much. Instead, I started to focus on my love for storytelling and creative writing, the last a subject I choose to graduate in.

Just when I decide to walk to my living room to call my friends to see if they have plans for the evening, I hear a knocking on the other side of my mirror.

Yes, you read that correctly.

I face my mirror and smile at a beast, a dwarf and a fox. They have been good friends of mine for about ten years.

Yes, I'm best friends with fairytale creatures. No, I'm not insane. Or at least, just as sane as most people who work in showbiz.

My smile fades as I notice the worried looks of my friends. Deep down inside I already know something bad is about to happen.

"Guys, what's wrong?"

"We've come to warn yous Sarah, something bad is goin' on in the Labyrinth."

"Fear not my lady, for we shall fight it but you should be aware of this…threat.''

"Labyrinth…darkness."

Ludo's simple description makes the hairs on the back of neck raise. Despite Diddymus' calming words not to fear, I notice I do, nonetheless.

Since I'm obviously not 15 years old anymore, I'm willing to admit I care about the Labyrinth and feel protective of it. After all, I grew up in there in those 10 hours. What's going on? Who's threatening it?

Can I do something to help them?

Who's protecting the Labyrinth now?

"What about your king? Can't he do something?"

"His majesty fights most valiantly but even he cannot hold the darkness off for forever, Lady Sarah. As strong as he is…he looks tired," Diddymus answers.

"Well, Hades knows I doesn't like him but if it weren't for the royal bastard we'd be in even bigger trouble now," Hoggle sighs.

"King lonely," Ludo adds.

This little piece of information scares me even more.

"Guys, if I knew a way to get back to the Labyrinth to help you, I would but I don't know how.

Wishing myself away doesn't seem like a good idea, doesn't it?"

"Goodness no!" Hoggle exclaims, as Ludo and Diddymus look shocked.

"The only thing that would happen, is that you would have to run the Labyrinth again. Even his majesty is bound by certain rules."

After the conversation with my Underground friends has ended, I walk downstairs. Figuring I need to take my mind off of both my writers' block and the Labyrinth, I call Janet and Kate, two of my other friends, to go out for a drink at our favorite local bar.

No matter how much I try to focus on the stories of my friends, my mind drifts back to Hoggle's warning. Even though I know New York isn't a very safe city sometimes, I've always _felt_ safe here….

Until now.

We walk on a street that runs parallel to Times Square, laughing about a joke Janet made, when it happens.

Suddenly, all the sounds, smells and visions of the city are muted. All the noises and lights of Times Square seem to be covered in a cloak of darkness. Even our movements are suddenly muddled, as if we are walking through a swamp, thick as molasses.

It's silent. Too silent.

Silence in the middle of New York City isn't a good sign.

"Who are you and what is it you want?!" I yell as Janet and Kate look around confused.

The silence continues and I feel foolish for yelling into thin air. Not knowing what else to do, however, I repeat my question.

No, we hear laughter all around us. It doesn't sound even remotely human. It sounds like a swarm of bees suddenly had received a capability to talk. The end result frightens me more than the cleaners, the giant robot, the Goblin army and the snake Jareth through at me, combined.

"Do you think you can order us around, Sarah Williams?" the creature(s?) mocks me.

Oh great, it knows who I am. I gather my courage and try to pretend that talking to disembodied voices doesn't freak me out. I quickly look behind me and judging by the fact that Kate and Janet look absolutely terrified, confirms this isn't a very weird dream.

"Actually, it was just a question. Who are you and what is it you want?"

It (they?) laugh again.

You may be Goblin Queen and Champion of the Labyrinth, Sarah Williams but it's only a matter of time before your king is dethroned. Your precious Labyrinth is ours already and Aboveground will be as well."

"How dare you! Leave the underground and MY aboveground alone! You have NO power over me!''

I yell, seeing red for the first time since the conversation started. Behind me, Kate and Janet protest as well.

It's reaction is to simply darken our surroundings even more. The air is so thick I'm having trouble to breath. I'd rather be stuck in the bog right now than here. Compared to these threats, even Jareth seems like a prince charming right now.

As stubborn as I am, I also realize when I'm truly outmatched. I need help. I force myself to stay calm and think quickly. Who can I ask? I need someone with a talent for magic and realize not even the combined powers of Ludo, Hoggle and Sir Diddymus are sufficient enough to beat whatever-the-hell-this-is right now.

It's getting harder and harder to breath. My friends are struggling with the lack of air as well.

''I'm so going to regret this," I mutter, before raising my voice again.

"I wish the Goblin King would help me right now!"

Would the sarcastic bastard show up or just leave me here with the Darkness of the Underground threatening me as a revenge for beating him?

"Sarah, ladies, run!" I hear behind me.

I never thought I'd be so happy to hear that British-sounding accent again.

"Your battle is not with her!" he yells.

Kate, Janet and I move out of the way as a crystal ball is thrown and the air clears again.

I turn around and face Jareth, King of the Goblins, for the first time in nearly 10 years.


	2. Strangers when we meet

In the dark Chapter 2: Strangers when we meet

**I don't own the Labyrinth. Shiro Kudo: Thanks for the review ****. I'm Dutch, by the way.**

Sarah's PoV

"Hello Precious, did you miss me?"

Now that the direct threat to my life is gone, I have the chance to take a good look at Jareth. He obviously is trying to rile me up but it doesn't work like it used to. He looks disheveled. Tired. He smirks at me but something's missing. I never thought I'd say this about the glittery bastard but.…

his spark is gone.

The realization scares me almost just as much as the whatever-creature-it-was, he just saved me from. I remember Didymus' words from earlier this evening; even the Goblin King cannot hold the darkness off forever.

"Jareth, what's going on?"

"You can say that again." At the sound of Janet's voice, I turn around to look at her and Kate. I had completely forgotten they were there. They're in this mess because of me, they deserve an explanation.

This is going to be interesting.

Judging by the look on his face, Jareth has drawn the same conclusion. He looks at me again.

"Shall we go somewhere more private, ladies? It's not….wise to have this discussion here."

My friends look at me, not knowing whether to trust this strangely dressed man. Well, I don't trust Jareth either, obviously, but what choice do I have? After all, I wished him here and secretly, I want to blame him for being in this situation in the first place. Then again, he _did_ save us.

I nod in acceptance.

"Hold hands and close your eyes," he tells me. "Jareth, where are taking us? You're not going to poof us into your castle, are you?"

"Poof? Castle?" Jareth and I ignore Kate's question as we warily look at each other. He raises an eyebrow.

"I merely want to suggest 'poofing' you and your friends back to your apartment, nothing more. Unless you wished to walk?" If to emphasize his words, it starts to rain at that precise moment. Can Jareth control the weather? I wouldn't put it past him.

I sigh. "I'm going to regret this, am I? Alright, I wish you'd poof us back to my apartment."

He smirks. "What's the magic word?"

Honestly, it's like dealing with a five year old. In fact, Toby _was_ more mature when he was five.

Shivering and clearly fed up with the two of us, Janet answers. "Please!"

Jareth gives a mocking bow and suddenly, the four of us are back at my apartment.

"Wait a minute, should I be freaked out by the fact that you know where I live?"

"You were the one who wished us here Sarah, remember?"

Janet sighs while Kate looks at us pointedly, both clearly fed up with our bickering.

"Guys, will you now tell us what's going on? Who are you anyway?"

Now it's my time to sigh as I grab the little red book that changed my life when I was fifteen. I've kept it all these years. Somehow, something always stopped me from throwing it away. As much as the book became a symbol of my own selfishness after I had wished Toby away, that very same book and the adventure that was tied to it, also made me a better person. Not that I would ever admit it to the Goblin king but then again, his ego was big enough already anyway.

I show it to my friends. Janet recognizes it instantly.

"The labyrinth," she reads out loud. "Wasn't this the book you were obsessed with in high school? You used to have some strange crus….Yes, Janet, it's the book I used to love in high school," I quickly interrupt her before she'd blurt out I used to have a soft spot for the Goblin king-character in the novel.

Unfortunately, Janet's statement has caught Jareth's interest and he walks over to me.

"On _who_ did you have a strange crush, precious?"

"Don't we have something more important to tell, Goblin king?" I mumble, glaring as he smirks at me.

"Anyway, Janet , Kate, you know the story, right? About a girl who wishes away her brother to the Goblin king?" Both of my friends look more confused by the minute. "Yes, we remember Sarah, why?"

"Well, it really happened." At the sight of their shocked looks, Jareth nods at my friends. "I am Jareth, king of the Goblins and Lord of the Labyrinth," he introduces himself.

Janet continues to stare at him as Kate blinks. "So…..you're a magical king," she says, not really asking. Jareth merely raises an eyebrow before conjuring up a crystal to demonstrate his magic.

Getting over their shock, my friends realize they hadn't even introduced themselves yet. He kisses both of their hands as they smile at him hesitantly. Suddenly, Janet gives me a mischievous smile that I don't really trust. I briefly wonder what she's up to, before Jareth draws my intention again as he prepares to leave.

"As enlightening as this evening was, ladies, I do have a kingdom to run."

I realize suddenly that this was his plan all along; distract us and leave before we get the chance to ask questions about the creatures that attacked us. Bastard.

"Not so fast Jareth, you promised to tell us what's going on!" Jareth feigns disinterest as he toys with his gloves. "Oh, did I?" I give him my best puppy dog eyes and I see his features soften. "Oh alright, you minx." He sits down on my couch and looks at us.

"Thanks to that famous British playwright of yours, you know there are two Fae courts, the Seelie and the Unseelie. As you also may know, Oberon and Titiana are the monarchs of the first mentioned. " Kate's eyes grow big. "Wait, Shakespears' Midsummer night's dream is real? And you're Fae?"

"Indeed." I can tell Jareth isn't pleased he's interrupted.

"Anyway, the Seelie and the Unseelie courts are not the only courts at the Underground. There's also a third one. This one used to be in exhile but they're gaining in strength. "Wait, they're the darkness, these creatures, aren't they?! You're fighting them!" I pipe up, remembering my friends' warnings.

Jareth glares at me. "How did you know?! Of course, your blasted friends….." he mumbles as he paces around, agitated. My friends are surprised at his sudden change in temper as I try to figure out how to calm the magical king down.

"Jareth, can I help?" He freezes before walking over to me. "No, it's far too dangerous Sarah," he hisses while staring into my eyes. The intensity of his gaze makes me shiver as he gently caresses my cheek. "Jareth…." I swallow, my throat suddenly dry. Why does my voice sound so shaky? I try again. "Jareth, can't you see? I'm already involved. These things attacked me in the middle of New York, knew my name, called me 'Champion of the Labyrinth…"

"That's not all they called you, didn't they?" Janet points out and both of us jump at the sound of her voice. We had nearly forgotten my friends were still in the room.

"What did they call her?!" Jareth voices it as a demand, not a question. I answer.

"Goblin queen," I mumble. At those words I see a flash of emotion in Jareth's eyes I dare not to name. Was it desire?

"Anyway Sarah, let go of the foolish notion that you can be the rescuer of the Labyrinth," he says bluntly and the moment is gone. "I cannot guarantee your safety and frankly, I haven't got the time to babysit you."

I try to ignore the sudden hurt I feel at Jareth's cruel words. Why does it matter to me how he feels anyway? "You don't need to babysit me Goblin King, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself," I spit back. "Which was why you summoned me the moment you faced the darkness."

"We can help," Janet suddenly pipes up. "And before you say something, your majesty, Kate took fencing classes for years and knows how to use a sword, whereas I'm a nurse. We might actually be useful to you."

"Why would you risk yourself for a world you've only just discovered its existence of?"

"Frankly because I don't like being threatened by some freaky black cloud with ambition. Besides, that thing also has its eyes on my world," my friend explains. "Also, we can keep an eye on Sarah because knowing her, she'll find her way to the underground anyway, no matter what you say," Kate says.

"Ahem, I'm still in the room guys," I point out, annoyed. Kate simply shrugs. "Look Sarah, I'm sorry for being so blunt but you know Janet and I are right."

Jareth sighs, obviously not very pleased with this new arrangement. "Ladies, I still believe this is a foolish plan and I cannot guarantee your safety. However, if you truly want to join the fight, I will not stop you. Do realize this isn't child's play. I give you 13 hours to contemplate your decision. If you, by the end of those 13 hours, are still willing to fight and have packed your belongings, declare 'I wish king Jareth will bring me to the Underground' and I will come."

I looked at Jareth, careful to make a deal with the fae. " Will you guarantee our return back to New York, aboveground?'' He nods, before disappearing in a poof of glitter.

"Did we just make a deal to fight in a magical war?'' Kate blinks.


	3. Changes

In the dark Chapter 3: Changes

**Thanks for the reviews! I don't own the Labyrinth. As for Jeromy, he's partly inspired by another Bowie character, Thomas Jerome Newton from The man who fell to earth, so I guess I don't fully own him either…I can recommend the movie by the way, for anyone who hasn't seen it. For those who also read my Phantom of the opera and/or Doctor Who stories: I'm currently working on new chapters for both stories.**

Jareth's PoV

The moment I'm back at my office in my castle, I'm being accosted by my assistant and oldest friend, Louis, asking me about my next strategic move in the fight against the dark hordes.

I sigh, gathering my thoughts. The reunion with Sarah caught me off guard, both because the darkness shouldn't be so strong to be able to reach the aboveground and because Sarah, the older, _fully grown _Sarah, is known as my queen by those blasted creatures.

I really need all my attention to fight the war, not spend it on the aggravating, stubborn woman.

Louis notices I don't pay attention and looks curiously at me. "Normally a summon doesn't distract you so much, Sire. Did the wisher ask for the dreams? I haven't seen the wished away."

"It wasn't a wisher, Louis. The darkness has managed to find its way to the Aboveground city of New York." Louis eyes grow big.

"This is bad, your majesty, really bad." Both of us quickly glance at one of the small portraits I keep on my desk. "Tell me about it," I mumble. 'If the darkness manages to reveal itself to an abovegrounder, their strength has increased. If they manage to make themselves known, which is undoubtedly their plan, everything we've fought for, will be in vain. If they manage to control an abovegrounder with any kind of power or influence, they'll be even harder to beat. It could put our entire race in danger from both the darkness as well as brainwashed abovegrounders."

I paused. "Just like Jeromy was," I softly point out while looking at his portrait again, before clearing my throat. When I think back of the treatment my brother received, I still feel angry, even though the painful events took place years ago. Thankfully Sarah didn't seem the type to have a strong fear of anything fantastic and/or non-human, nor was easily brainwashed.

"Speaking of abovegrounders, did they see the darkness?" I nod. "The darkness tried to capture three women, although I managed to save them in the nick of time." Louis raises an eyebrow. "How did they know how to call you? Weren't they shell-shocked when they saw all the magic?" Comprehension dawns on his face. "Unless…of course….they used to be runners. "

I nod again, stiffly, Noticing my apprehension, Louis grows suspicious. "There's more to the story, isn't there, Jareth?"

Louis and I grew up together, his father being my father's valet. Despite our differences in station, he knows me like a brother and in private he treats me like one as well. A fact I dislike right now, even though he's one of the very few fae I tolerate it from.

"The one human who shouldn't involve herself with this, has managed to catch the darkness' attention," I mumble. "The one human…surely you don't mean?"

"The champion of the Labyrinth, Lady Sarah Wiliams of the Aboveground, has offered to fight the threat to the Goblin kingdom alongside me, chaperoned by two of her human friends."

"Why do you allow her to do so? Normally you would have refused her entrance, considering you cannot guarantee her safety." Louis keeps his voice carefully neutral.

"'When have I ever acted normally when faced with Sarah Williams? Besides, I know better than to underestimate her stubbornness and even if I had forbidden her entrée, she would have found a way in, anyway."

"Jareth…were you…are you still…..?," Louis trails off, his voice gentle and I know what he's trying to ask. Court gossip is not exactly discreet. I know what quite a few members of the Seelie Court think. Among them Titiana and Puck, unfortunately. 

"Am I in love with her, you mean? Or was in love with her all those years ago and never quite forgot her?'' Louis simply shrugs. If it was anyone other than Louis, I would have send them out of the room for even daring to ask me. Instead I ponder these questions before giving an answer.

"Was I in love with her during her run? I don't think so, although she did intrigue me more than most fae women had for quite a while. As for now, I don't know her anymore Louis. It's been years since we last spoke and she has grown up now. While I doubt her personality changed completely and while I do think she's just as stubborn as she used to be in the minutes I talked to her, I just don't really know her. Not anymore."

Why do I sound like I'm trying to convince myself? I'm aware I don't sound really believable or sure of myself and it's no surprise Louis doesn't appear to be convinced either.

"Not yet," Louis winks at me. Normally I would have grabbed the chance to leer at her whenever the opportunity arises, true but now….

"We're facing war Louis," I sigh, heading over to go to the library to see if there are any other spells I could use to fight the darkness. I gesture to make sure Louis follows me. "Perhaps the sight of her fighting alongside us may give the kingdom some hope. She has become the local heroine after all."

Sarah's PoV

"Bloody hell, what an evening," I mutter to myself as Janet and Kate busy themselves searching for any mentioning of the darkness in the local news.

"Nothing! It's like no one but us saw anything out of the ordinary," Kate says. "Well, those creatures probably have the power to turn back time. I know Jareth has. However girls, we need to talk about our plans to go to the Labyrinth." They nod and sit down as I look worriedly at them. After all, it was my fault for dragging them into this mess and I can't help but to feel guilty.

"Do you really want to come along with me?" At our question Janet rolls her eyes. "Come on Sarah, what did you expect? Did you really think we're going to let you fight a magical war while Kate and I just carry on with our daily lives? While knowing multiple worlds are in danger, as well as our best friend?! Although you do seem to have your own royal personal bodyguard at your back and call," she teases.

"Jareth is not my anything," I mumble. No matter how much I dislike it, Janet does have a point. If I had discovered a fairytale world this evening, I'd probably wouldn't just carry on like nothing had happened, either.

"Why do you want to protect the Labyrinth so badly?" Kate asks. "After all, Janet and I come along out of desire to protect you and our city but you do this because you want to protect this whole other world as well, don't you? Why the sense of loyalty? You were fifteen when you met Jareth, right? Why didn't you write it off as a dream?"

Good question. While I'm the first one to admit I've grown fond of the Labyrinth, due to the friends I made and the lessons I've learned, it would have been a normal reaction to convince myself it was all a dream. That's what most people probably would have done.

However, as I ponder over an answer, I realize that the adventure in the labyrinth has given me strength when I needed it, multiple times in my life. It took years of struggling before the HBO accepted my, now-award winning, scripts. After every rejection I received, memories of defeating an undefeatable labyrinth gave me the strength to carry on the moment many others would have stopped pursuing an artistic career. After every time a so-called friend stabbed me in the back, not just thoughts of people like Janet and Kate but also memories of Didymus, Ludo and Hoggle, stopped me from turning paranoid and bitter.

And after every bad date and broken relationship, it helped knowing that there was a certain King out there who….I pause _those _thoughts.

"Because I needed to believe in the Labyrinth," I answer Kate's question. Because everyone needs to believe in something, I guess. Knowing I beat a near impossible Labyrinth and made friends along the way helped me to carry on every time I was rejected since I was fifteen."

Janet nods in understanding before raising an eyebrow. "Are you sure that you've only met friends along the way? I wouldn't exactly describe Jareth as a friend, right?"

Not trusting the look on my friend's face, I sigh. "Janet, what are you going on about?" She smirks. "Well, it is interesting how his majesty shows up the moment you wish it, even though he's busy protecting a kingdom."

I groan, realizing that Janet has started to play matchmaker.

"He's bound to answer wishes, Janet," I point out, annoyed. "That doesn't explain why he acts protective of you, nor the sexual tension between the two of you that you can cut with a knife," Kate pipes up and I blush. I don't deny it, though. "Or the fact that the Darkness, whatever that means, knows you as the Goblin Queen, a.k.a _his_ queen," Janet adds.

As much as I hate to admit it, the girls have a point. I'm not going to deny there's a lot of tension between Jareth and me, something I really do not want to think about because it only makes me more confused than I already am.

"I don't know why these things think I'm the Goblin Queen, Janet and judging by the look Jareth had on his face when he heard this, he doesn't know either." Both Janet and Kate don't look convinced. "No matter how I feel about Jareth and no matter what I accuse him of, I can't say he ever outright lied to me. Twisting his words, sure. Lying? No."

"So he never flirted with you during your run in the Labyrinth?"

'_How are you enjoying my Labyrinth? Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave….."_

"Well…..Look, guys, I was fifteen years old! A very naïve fifteen year old, I might add. I barely had discovered boys existed, never had been kissed. If a normal boy had flirted with me at that age, I wouldn't even have realized it, let alone if a male of an unknown age and species tried. Besides, I was too busy saving my brother to pay attention to anything else."

"True, you were naïve back then when it came to boys but you're not a naïve fifteen-year old anymore, Sarah and frankly, if you get in trouble because of your bond, no matter what bond, with Jareth, I'd pay attention to it." I sigh, realizing that Janet and Kate's endless questions were not only asked out of curiosity. After all, if the darkness believed they were hurting Jareth by hurting me, I was in bigger trouble than I thought. As well as Janet and Kate, by proxy.

"In all honesty, if I look back on my Labyrinth adventure," I trail off before continuing. "Jareth did flirt with me, true, but that was simply to distract me and make me lose the challenge." Janet glances at the red Labyrinth book , before looking at me. "Are you sure? You just told us that Jareth would never lie to you. Did he say things people generally don't lie about?"

That last question hit home. '_Fear me, love me, do as I say…..love me.' _ If I believed that Jareth would never lie to me, that would mean that his last offer was more than a last attempt to make me lose, like I had always thought. What if he truly had loved me? Enough to view me as 'his' queen? I sit down on the couch in shock.

"In that case, I was a bitch to him." 'You have no power over me,' is probably not the nicest way to turn someone down, I mentally add. "Then again, I was fifteen and I didn't know what Jareth wanted from me. As a matter of fact, I still don't. Besides, as cruel as I was to him, he wasn't exactly friendly to me either." Who tries to seduce someone by sending the cleaners after her? Very smooth, Jareth…..I force myself to focus on more pressing matters as I force my musings about Jareth's possible feelings to the back of my mind.

"Girls, could we please stop about this? Did you forget we're going to fight a magical war against an enemy we don't even know?" I suggest, closing the subject for the time being. Kate gives me a sympathetic look. "We know Sarah…it's just, it's shocking to discover the existence of an actual magical land, so as a result, we focus on the actual things that still makes sense, even though our world has turned upside down in one evening."

"Exactly and the one thing that still makes sense is that men, no matter what species, are impossible to understand, especially when faced with someone they might be attracted too," Janet adds and I can't help but to snort in response.

"That being said, what are we fighting?" Kate asks. "The king actually never told us."

I nod. "Rule number one when dealing with the Labyrinth and all its inhabitants: ask the right questions if you want an actual answer to anything."


	4. We are the dead

In the dark Chapter 4: We are the dead

**Thanks for the reviews! I don't own the Labyrinth….unfortunately. Nor the Doctor Who quote mentioned. This is probably the longest chapter I've ever written, just so you know.**

Sarah's PoV

Everyone is quiet as we digest everything that has happened in the past few hours. Now that I finaly have the chance to think and reflect, I silently curse myself. Why did I promise Jareth I would fight in a magical war?! I don't even know who my opponents are! Why didn't I ask Jareth to tell me who or what the darkness was before promising anything? Then again, Jareth himself didn't look exactly pleased when I made the offer and gave us time to reconsider it. Suddenly I'm really grateful he did instead of allowing me to jump into this blindly. In all honesty, if he had wanted revenge for me besting him, he had the perfect chance when I made my offer. Instead he warned me. For an arch enemy, he seemed to care quite a lot for my wellbeing.

What on earth was going on between us?

Janet looks at me before breaking the silence. "Do you have any idea what we're up against?"

I shake my head.

"Well, is there anyone we can ask? To call on his majesty again would be rude but still…" she trails off.

Thankfully, Jareth is not the only one we can ask. I have no idea how much my Underground friends know about this but it wouldn't hurt asking them, would it?"

I gesture Janet and Kate to follow me to the mirror. "It's time for you to meet them anyway, perhaps they can tells us more."

After calling for Ludo, Hoggle and Sir Didymus and introducing them to my Aboveground friends, I tell them about my evening so far.

"Yous going to fight the darkness?! Are ye insane?! Wait, who helped ye when the darkness captured ye?!" Whereas Sir Didymus had offered his fealty and Ludo seemed worried, Hoggle was furious after I had finished my story.

"Your favorite monarch," I mutter. I can already guess his reaction.

"Ye asked the rat for help?! Why?!" I stare at the dwarf.

"Who else could I ask?" Hoggle sighs but doesn't answer. Didymus, however, looks thoughtful when he hears how Jareth has saved us but remains silent.

"Do you know anything about the darkness?" Kate asks, crouching down as she faces Hoggle and Didymus.

Hoggle shuffles his feet, looking nervous. "Well, there's a reason I always warns Sarah for not taking anything for granted….It's both a warning and a reminder to anyone Underground."

As he opens his mouth to explain, he's interrupted as someone forcefully opens my door, hitting the wall with a bang. Jareth is standing in the doorway in full Goblin King regalia. It's a good thing we've got some sort of unspoken truce, or else I'd be rather intimidated right now. Instead, I'm just worried. I doubt he'd show up if nothing was amiss.

"Jareth?! What's wrong?!" As I face him, he looks immensely relieved before growing angry. He walks towards me, grabbing my shoulders.

"Do you have any idea in how much danger you just put yourself?!" he hisses. I open my mouth to answer but my remark stays stuck in my throat the moment I look into his eyes. Underneath the anger lies genuine concern. Did I really place myself in danger, as well as my friends?

"The darkness is looking for portals between the Underground and the above and you just made an extra one. You're lucky it's just me you're facing instead of another black cloud. You've basically given them an invitation to your living quarters, you foolish girl."

"What do you mean, Jareth? By the way, now that you're here, could you please answer our questions?" I ask, ignoring his insults. He sighs before giving a nod . He sits down on my couch before noticing his three subjects. With a wave of his hand, Ludo, Didymus and Hoggle enter my living room as the pathway in the mirror closes.

"I'll bring you back home with me when I leave," he tells them, before looking at me. Now that he sees we're safe, his eyes soften a little. "What questions do you have for me, Sarah? And what do I receive in return?" I force myself not to roll my eyes. Then again, I do ask him to divulge information that's probably classified, in front of three of his subjects.

"What do you wish, Jareth?" He raises an eyebrow when he hears the deliberate phrasing of my question.

"If you really are going through with this mad idea of fighting the darkness alongside me, I'd better have your loyalty, even if I make decisions you don't like."

Why do I feel like we're stuck in the whole 'do-as-I-say-thing' again? Then again, if I'm truly going to fight the darkness, I'll end up under his command anyway, whether I like it or not. Which choice do I have? Try to write scripts while waiting like a damsel in distress for Jareth to save me from any darkness-encounters again while villainous black clouds threaten the Labyrinth, my friends, my city and me or fight under the arrogant glittery tight-pants' command? Besides, who's to say he can and/or will save me a second time, anyway? While we may not be enemies anymore, we're not exactly friends either.

Plus, normal friends don't have so much tension between them. Especially not of the non-platonic kind. Knowing there are far more important issues right now, I force my mind not to wander back to the question of what's going on between us actually have and focus on Jareth's offer instead.

"Oh all right Jareth, you have my loyalty in this fight against the darkness. I'll even throw in a fresh cup of tea." He notices I emphasize how I don't offer him loyalty in any other occasion than the one mentioned but seems surprisingly pleased with the offer for the beverage.

Hoggle doesn't look very happy when I make a deal with his king but doesn't say anything. While I play host and put the kettle on for the tea, I think of a way to phrase my questions properly, which is easier said than done. My thoughts feel like a jumbled mess.

"What is the darkness Jareth? Why is it attacking both Under- and Aboveground?" I ask as I sit down. "Hoggle already told me it's got something to do with not taking anything for granted but that's all we know." Janet, Kate and I look curiously at the King as we wait for his answer.

"As you all know, there are two powerful courts in the Underground, the Seelie and the Unseelie. I'm a member of the Seelie court, by the way. As you also may know, members of both courts will never be best friends."

Hoggle snorts. "They hate each other's guts." He swallows nervously when Jareth glares at him.

"Anyway, there was a third powerful party involved, who's main goal was to keep the peace between the courts. They were a board, called the Tribunal. Whereas the courts were ruled by fae, my people, the Tribunal consisted of selected members of all the species found within the land, representing all its inhabitants. Not just Fae but also dwarves, kelpies, mermaids, dragons, centaurs…and yes, humans as well."

"Humans lived underground?!" Janet asks, surprised. Jareth nods.

"The Tribunal was well respected and even the most vain members of either court listened to them, for a while. However, in the end, the animosity between the two courts proved too great an obstacle to overcome. While the courts know that both are vital for the well-being of the Underground, the desire to get rid of each other for once and for all, could not be ignored. "

"War," Ludo grunts softly.

"The direct cause didn't matter, for the animosity between the two court was so strong, anything one court said, was viewed as offensive by the other. If it weren't for the Tribunal, the war would have started years, if not centuries earlier. However, in the end, war was inevitable."

"I was just a wee babe when the war started, just like his majesty," Didymus continues Jareth's story. "However, we both grew up with the consequences, as well as the traumas. This was not a brave, heroic battle, my ladies, this was sheer madness. Since the Seelie and Unseelie court are each other's match in battle, this was not a fight where any side could come out as a victor. Millions lost their lives, loved ones, homes…" he shakes his head sadly. "With so many losses on both sides, in the end, everyone lost."

"The war in itself was short but brutal," Jareth says, his melodic voice uncharacteristically melancholical. I wonder briefly if he lost any loved ones as well. He must have.

"Like Sir Didymus says, there were no winners, only losers. How could one speak of winning after such destruction? However, while the losses were equally between the two courts, death was not equally distributed between species."

He looks pointedly at Janet. "Yes, humans did live in the Underground, to answer your question Miss Bushnell. However, after being decimated by the war, the remaining humans had had enough of all magical creatures, especially the fae and wanted to live somewhere else. The Tribunal helped them move to the Aboveground. If a human wished to speak with a fae, or any other Underground species for that matter, all he or she had to do was wish. Ever wondered why still so many tales exist about the magical creatures that live Underground? They started after the fled humans started telling stories. Many of the humans who once lived Underground, moved to various parts of the United Kingdom, which is still known for its fae lore, even now.

Jareth takes a sip of his tea, looking lost in thought. "Speaking of the Tribunal, they were understandably furious when they saw the damage the war had caused. Their sole purpose had been to stop this war from happening and in the end, the courts cared more for power and showing who's strongest, than for the well-being of the Underground. They felt taken for granted because even they could not stop the war despite all their efforts and unheard and ignored because no one but the courts wanted this war in the first place. This is, by the way, the reason why the runners always hear to never take anything for granted while in the Labyrinth. It's a reminder of what happens when you manage to anger even the most gentile fellows. The Tribunal was angry and in their anger, they were terrifying.

To make matters worse, fae are not immortal but still very hard to kill. There were fae deaths in this war, of course but only a small percentage compared to other races that are less indestructible. In the end, many other creatures, who entered this war reluctantly to begin with, lost their lives over a fae dispute while the fae themselves survived. Many people, the Tribunal included, felt that all those sacrifices had been taken for granted as well. After all, why didn't the fae protect all the subjects more vulnerable than them, in exchange for their loyalty? All the other species had accepted and subjected themselves to the fae rulers and in return, they died because the fae wanted even more power than they already had. To be frank, the war in itself was nothing but a pissing contest. The courts could have settled it without bloodshed but choose not too and as a result, many lives were lost. "

He notices how wrapped up we all are in his story, before moving on. "One person may be quicker to anger than another. Also, people who are easily angered, more than often calm down quickly as well. However, when one is known for his or her endless patience, kind heart and empathy and is nearly impossible to upset, the moments he or she _does _get upset, are terrifying. After all, if you manage to anger such a person, you well and truly have messed things up.

This was the case with the Tribunal members; their anger towards the courts for taking the sacrifice of many creatures of the Underground for granted over a pissing contest, was a sight to behold.

This fury caused a schism within the Tribunal and in the end, put the entire Underground in danger"

Jareth may be physically present in my apartment right now but mentally, he looks like he's miles away. While I'm surprised he tells his story so bluntly, I'm glad that finally tells us. Then again, what he tells us now is straight-forward history. Sir Didymus told me in an earlier conversation that the Castle beyond the Goblin City has a gigantic library. I wonder if Jareth tells us anything we can't find in a book. I wonder if he can. As a king, he's bound to have secrets, I suppose.

"Demons run when a good man goes to war. Night will fall and drown the sun, when a good man goes to war…" Kate quotes softly.

While I'd never thought I'd see the day I'd sit on a couch with two Aboveground friends, my three best friends from the Underground and the Goblin King while hearing a quote from one of my favorite Doctor Who episodes, the sentiment seems strangely accurate. Even Jareth nods, although I highly doubt he understands the reference.

"After the war had stopped and the humans had left, discussion rose about how to go on after the war and which position the Tribunal had to take in this new situation. One half of the Tribunal, led by the elf Meldore, claimed we had to remember the war but also actively make sure such a war would never start again. He, as well as others, believed that both courts had learned their lessons. The other half, led by the dwarf Chanler, agreed with Meldore to never forget the war but claimed the courts both had proven that they were unfit the rule, after causing such destruction. Chanler, as well as his followers, claimed that the Tribunal should rule, for the board had proven to desire peace above all else and represented all persons living within the Underground, not just the fae. The dwarves, like the humans, had suffered many losses . Many dwarfs had no desire the see their family die over a fae dispute, while the fae themselves suffered no such consequences."

Jareth pauses for a moment to gather his thoughts. I silently offer him another cup of tea, which he accepts with a nod. As fascinating as this story is, I wonder what it has to do with the darkness and judging by the looks on the faces of my human friends, they ponder the same thing. I have the feeling we're going to find out soon, though.

"While Meldore was respected, he also was old and brittle. Chanler, who was young and inspiring, managed to attract more and more followers, especially among those who lost the most during the war. Meldore and his followers warned the people that Chanler's ambition, unusual for Tribunal members, would turn him into a power-hungry ruler, no different than any of the cruelest fae dictators. Chanler's reaction was to simply suggest that Meldore had gone senile due to old age. In hindsight, however, Meldore's words proved to be true. Chanler, a powerful dwarf and therefore a Seelie court member by default, tried to overthrow the Seelie court with one half of his followers, among them a handful fellow Tribunal members. Another half of Chanler's followers, led by his Kelpie friend Breva, tried to do the same to the Unseelie Court. Among them were a few fellow Tribunal members as well but they were part of a minority. By the time Meldore's predictions came true, most of the Tribunal had spoken out against Chanler. The strongest dissidents were murdered, which silenced the remaining Tribunal members. It nearly started another war and people have obviously died in the dispute has well."

"Nearly?"

Jareth smiles at my remark but it's a smile without joy. "The war was stopped by both courts, who decided to fight Chanler and his followers together and Chanler's revolution was nipped in the bud. The enemy of an enemy is a friend, I suppose. Chanler and Breva were captured, as well as most of their accomplices. Chanler died in the fight for his freedom while Breva and the remaining accomplices were banished to the outer lands. My father, who was still Goblin King back then, was one of the Seelie court members who managed to capture Breva. For years and years the threat of Breva and her followers seemed neutralized and when I became king, about fifty years after the war, I foolishly believed the danger gone, at least during my reign. Unfortunately, Breva must have learned something during her banishment, for she grew in strength while using old dark magic, the kind that was long forgotten by both courts. The dark clouds you've encountered are both minions as manifests of her powers. They make the perfect soldiers, for they are non-corporal and nearly impossible to beat."

If they're nearly impossible to beat without magic, how could I help? Or Janet and Kate for that matter, if they're still willing to join me after this. Just when I want to voice my concerns, I realize something. I got involved in this battle because of my ties to the Labyrinth in particular, not because I have a bond with the Underground in its entirety. Why the focus on Jareth's kingdom? And me, by proxy?

"Why is it after you, Jareth? After the Goblin Kingdom? The Above? There's more behind this attack than a simple case of revenge, isn't there?"

"Labyrinth gateway," Ludo says.

"What he means is that the Labyrinth has portals to the above. It's one of the few places where Undergrounders can goes to ye world, like we just done tonight," Hoggle explains.

"While many fae do not have the desire to rule over such…primitive races as Goblins, the Labyrinth and therefore my kingdom, is very powerful. Because it is my duty as a king to collect wishers and wish-aways, I'm one of the very few fae who goes regularly to the above. Most don't have that power. Also, it is my duty to keep an eye any portal between the Above- and Underground, which is why I showed up when you called my subjects," Jareth points out. "If Breva and her minions have control over the Goblin Kingdom, they can easily go to the above. Then, they either catch people, like they tried with you or brainwash them to do our bidding, which would be rather bad for both humans and any Underground creature. Brainwashing humans is not very difficult Sarah, present company excluded."

I swallow nervously.

"If Breva and the darkness are nearly impossible to beat, what can I do to help? What can any of us do? Why did the darkness think I was a threat?"

Jareth raises an eyebrow. "You've got more power than you realize precious. Ever wondered why you're so successful in your trade? Words do have power, you know….As for you two, if you still wish to join after this, your training starts together with Sarah's. I can't just let you just run amok in my kingdom, now, can I?" he says to Janet and Kate, who's been silent the moment Jareth showed up.

They nod in agreement.

Before I can ask him what he means when he mentioned I apparently have powers, he waves goodbye and leaves in a flash, taking Ludo, Hoggle and Sir Didymus with him. As I glare at the puddle of glitter Jareth has left behind, Kate sighs. "Well, at least we know what we're up against now," she mumbles.


	5. Fantastic Voyage

In the dark Chapter 5: Fantastic voyage

**I don't own the Labyrinth. If I did, I'd spend my time with Jareth, not behind a computer.**

Sarah's PoV

In a few minutes, Jareth will show up to take me and my friends away, just like he promised.

I don't feel ready at all. Then again, who would feel ready, knowing they're about to fight in a magical war?

Janet and Kate look at me as I nervously pace a hole in my bedroom floor. Since I'm the only one of us who has actually been to the Underground and may have some kind of clue what to expect, Janet, Kate and I agreed that they would simply pack some clothes and leave it to me to bring along any other stuff that we might need. I'm regretting that decision now. While I did know in advance fae and iron didn't really mix and decided to pack a few iron knives, I have no idea either what else to bring along with me, besides clothing and food.

What else could I bring along that would protect us? In the Labyrinth, we would be at a disadvantage because of our lack of magic, so if I could find something else that would protect us, like iron, I would certainly bring it along with me.

A poof of glitter announces Jareths' arrival.

"Ready to go, ladies, Sarah?"

I decide to ignore the jab that apparently, Jareth didn't count me as a lady. It does hurt me, though.

"We need a plan."

Jareth raises an eyebrow. "We?"

"Yes, we. I'd like to know what I'm up against Jareth. Please, do not try to talk me out of this."

Jareth's eyes soften at the 'please' and I intend to try to be kinder to Jareth in the future. While Jareth has the tendency to annoy me like no one else can, now is not the time to have a verbal sparring match.

"While I am willing to discuss military strategies with you, I'm not quite sure now is the time."

"True. What I do need to know now, however, if there is something that I could use as a weapon against Breva's cloud minions. You said yourself they are hard to kill. I already packed iron knives, by the way." I wonder if the black clouds are allergic to garlic like vampires allegedly are.

"Smart girl." At the mention of the iron knives, Jareth looks at me with something akin to pride in his eyes, before his facial expression turns thoughtful.

"You could try to bring along as much salt as you've got. Salt helps against fae magic and although the clouds consist of very dark fae magic, it's fae magic nonetheless. As a result, I and my army cannot use it but lady Kate, lady Janet and you do not share this problem, as a human.

"Ordinary kitchen salt will do?" I ask as a grab a bag. Jareth nods.

Since Kate and Janet only live a few minutes away, they decide to quickly go back home, grab salt and anything iron they could use as a weapon and return, leaving me alone with Jareth.

He walks towards me.

"There's truly nothing I can say to dissuade you from your plan, can't I?"

I nod.

"The Labyrinth isn't the way you remember it. In order to defend itself and its inhabitants, it grew a lot darker than it used to be, Sarah. I can assure you that now, ending up in the bog is the least of your worries."

I turn to face him. He looks genuinely worried. I'm not quite sure how to feel as I notice his concern. Back when I was a blissfully naïve teenager, it was far easier to ignore any of Jareths' behavior that didn't match with my villainous view of him. At 25 years old, however, I couldn't remain naïve and unaware.

"What about the cleaners?"

Jareth immediately realize I'm not speaking of the current dangers in the Labyrinth. "They would have stopped before harming you. My job was to scare you Sarah, not hurt you. Also, the Labyrinth is a sentient being. It could tell you meant no harm and truly wanted your brother back. As a result, it would never harm you. However, it does sense enemies near its border, making it anxious. As a result, it has grown unpredictable.

I'm saying this to warn you and make sure you know what you're choosing for. It's not the relatively cheerful place you remember, precious."

The term of endearment caresses me and I swallow nervously. Realizing that Jareth never meant to truly harm me and seems to care about my wellbeing, makes me see him in a different light. Why do I feel this realization will bring complications neither of us need right now?

"I know but I'm still willing to protect it."

Jareth walks even closer towards me and I can't help to stare at his mouth. Anymore closer and we could kiss…I push that thought away, even though both of us are rather aware of the sparks that fly between us.

"In that case, you have to rely on your intelligence and wit, now more than ever." Jareth says softly, looking into my eyes.

"You're no match for Breva and her minions when it comes to brute strength but you can outwit her. After all, you did manage to beat the Labyrinth for a reason."

He grabs my hand before gently caressing it. If it had been anyone else, I would have told him to back off minutes ago. However, the words stay stuck in my throat as I look at him.

The moment is shattered as Janet and Kate ring my door bell. I turn around to answer, forcing myself to ignore the urge to run to the door, away from Jareth. Kate has brought her iron foil, awarding her with an appreciative nod from the Goblin king. Janet has already packed her first aid kit.

As I look at our luggage, I realize our roles have become clear: Janet will be healer, Kate will be soldier and I…military strategist, I assume. It gives me the confidence I had lacked before. However, this probably also meant I had to work together with his majesty on a daily basis. The thought makes me even more nervous than I already am. Great.

We all stand together before Jareth throws one of his crystals to the ground, sending us to his castle.

Once we have arrived, Jareth shows us to our rooms before quickly leaving with the promise he'll talk to us in the morning and the warning to not go into the Labyrinth alone unsupervised.

Janet and Kate stare out of the window in awe as I start to unpack.

"Well, I can understand why you never told us because we never would have believed you but did you really ran that maze?" Kate asks in wonder.

I nod. "Yes, in 10 hours."

"Wow."

"I did have help, you know. I could never have won it without Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus."

"Still, it is quite an achievement," Janet points out. "The king probably thinks so too. After all, you _are_ his champion and he seems to respect you."

She walks over to me before patting my back. "You're stronger than you think, you know. You just have to believe in yourself. If you enter this war, believing you aren't strong enough to fight this, you will lose."

Kate nods in agreement. "The fact that Breva's minions underestimate us, will be one of our biggest advantages, don't forget that."

I smile tiredly, realizing they were right. It always had been my decision to come here, while my friends were just along for the ride. Now that I'm here, I might as well kick some ass.

"Thanks for the pep talk guys."

Janet winks at me. "I just don't want to have to patch you up, more than necessary.


	6. New career in a new town

In the dark Chapter 6: New career in a new town

**I don't own the Labyrinth**

Sarah's PoV

A knock on the door wakes me up. I groan, feeling like I've only slept for a few hours. I quickly glance outside and have my suspicions confirmed. Why am I disturbed in the middle of the night?

I open the door to come face to face with a small woman with green hair and pointed ears, who introduces herself as my new maid, Rhiannon.

"My apologies for waking you up at this hour, my lady but his majesty has ordered me to prepare you for your training sessions. You, as well as Lady Kate and Lady Janet, are expected to take self-defense and fighting lessons for the next three days, in order to prepare yourself for battle. The king told me to advise you to wear something practical. When the training is completed, I will assist you when you desire me to."

She leaves before I can ask her to call me Sarah. I yawn before staring at my clothes as Rhiannon's words sink in. Training sessions? It makes sense that we would receive a training instead of running headfirst into battle but still, I wasn't looking forward to a self-defense course at 5.30 in the morning. Then again, we didn't invite ourselves over to have a holiday and Jareth wasn't obligated to do anything. The fact that he offered us luxurious rooms, a personal maid and a training course, made him surprisingly hospitable, for the time being. I can already hear his smug words; "_isn't that generous, Sarah?"_

As I dress, I briefly wonder if Sir Didymus will train us.

That hope is dashed the moment we go outside to meet our new teacher, who definitely isn't my fox-goblin friend. He looks like I'd picture a Viking to be: tall, muscled, with long hair and a beard. He introduces himself as Bartholomew.

"All right lasses, king Jareth asked me to teach you a little about fighting."

When we introduce ourselves and offer our hands to shake, he kisses them as we look at each other in surprise. When he greets me, he gives me a soft smile, that doesn't seem to match his outward appearance.

"Sir Didymus sends his regards. The old fox thought me everything I know when I was a lad."

I return his smile. How could I forget that nothing is what it looks like, here in the Labyrinth?

Bartholomew's lessons are exhausting, though. After a day of fighting, all of return to our chambers, covered in sweat and bruises and seriously doubting our decisions to come here. However, we have to make ourselves look presentable for the dinner Jareth has invited us to.

Kate's PoV

After we've freshened up, we drag ourselves to the royal dinner hall. We meet up with Jareth and another fae, who introduces himself as Louis Décourt. As we sit down, I notice how Bartholomew, who has come along as well, seems to be rather cozy with Janet. His majesty, meanwhile, can't seem to take his eyes off of Sarah. As for me, I curiously glance at Jareth's assistant. Louis is as silent as I am, choosing observing over chitchat and I find myself immediately liking him.

"Ladies, you seem to take in these events surprisingly calm. I would have expected more wonder or shock," he states.

Janet grins at him. "Mr Décourt, of course we were shocked. However, his majesty did gave us 13 hours to reconsider our decision to come. What did you think we did in those hours? It doesn't take that long to pack our belongings, you know."

I can't help but to laugh at her words, remember how we started to scream like fans at a Beatles concert, the moment Jareth had left after explaining the origin of the black clouds.

"Anyway, we were shocked," Janet admits. "On the other hand, we had been serious when we offered our help, so we also decided to get ourselves together and actually be useful the moment we'd arrive here. What use would we be if we had started to screech 'Oh my God,' at everything we saw, right now?

"Me and my ears thank you for that decision," Jareth snorts.

"Still," Louis presses on, "You're rather calm and collected for ending up in a world you didn't know existed and fighting a magical war to boot."

"Well, we had too," I answer him softly. "If Sarah hadn't interfered and asked his majesty for help, all three of us would have either been strangled or brainwashed. While I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone better, Janet and I are both quite aware we're all share a common enemy we're about to fight." I take a sip of my drink while I gather my thoughts.

"I admit we could have been easily distracted by all the wonders around this and when this affair has, hopefully, ended successful for us, I would love to spend more time discovering all these wonders this land has to offer, if I may. However, Sarah, Janet and I are quite used to focus on what matters. I've known Sarah since the days she ran the Labyrinth and she's still as focused as ever; you have to, in her career as a writer."

Sarah nods. "I have to, or else another writer has the chance to swoop in and usurp the position I've worked so hard to get."

"As for Janet," I continue, "she works in the emergency room of the Bellevue Hospital Centre in New York as a nurse, which means she has to heal people who are about to die, whereas I run Twelve Madison Park, one of the busiest restaurants in town. While our occupations differ quite a lot, one similarity is that we have to constantly focus on what's important and not be easily distracted. If we didn't do that, we couldn't have properly done our daily work. That's what helping us now."

"Besides," Janet adds, "while I may not know as much about fencing as Kate does, I do know that being distracted during a fight, might not be a good idea."

After dinner, Bartholomew takes Janet to the royal healer Glenrir, to teach her more about local medicine, whereas Jareth orders Sarah to follow him to his personal office. I'm not surprised she refuses, having a deep loathing for the feeling of being ordered around. Louis and I watch curiously in the meantime. After all, Jareth and Sarah must be the two most stubborn people I've ever met and we're probably both wondering if they're going to end up fighting another battle of will. Then, softly, Jareth speaks to her again, asking her instead of ordering and a minute later, they leave.

I face Louis. "Let me guess, Sarah is probably the only person in the entire underground he asks things instead of demanding them?"

Louis smiles. "Very astute of you. You're the quiet, observing one then, are you?"

"Very astute of you," I respond, smirking and Louis laughs.

"Well, someone has to be, right?" I point out. "Both Janet and especially Sarah, have the tendency to act before they think. As much as I care about her, it's not a surprise Sarah ended up being a runner."

Louis nods in understanding as I remember Janet's giggles when she looked at Bartholomew and the looks Sarah and Jareth threw at each other all throughout dinner, especially when they thought the other wasn't looking.

"Also, someone has to look out for them. While all three of us promised not to be distracted by the miracles this fairytale land had to offer, we hadn't really counted upon any other forms of distraction," I point out, while looking at the handsome fae. Particular forms of distraction were in fact Jareth, Bartholomew and him but I wasn't going to admit that. He catches me looking at him, though and winks.

"Trust me fair warrior lady, we will all look out for each other. This is a promise and my people do not make promises lightly."

The moment is disturbed when a screaming goblin enters the room before running to Jareth's office. Louis simply shrugs as I smile at the spectacle, before we follow the creature.

Sarah's PoV

I curiously follow Jareth to his office. Even though I'm not really ready to admit it, not even to myself, the sight of Jareth asking me for a private discussion, instead of ordering one, made my heart beat a little faster.

"What did you want to discuss, Jareth?" I ask gently as I face him. He sighs in response and at that moment, he looks older than ever. It worries me for a moment, before I grow annoyed with myself. Since when am I concerned about the wellbeing of the Goblin King?

"You wanted to help me. Well, you're most suited as a strategist," Jareth interrupts my thoughts as he gets down to business. I feel stuck between slightly annoyed, confused and disappointed that we're going to have a conversation that is strictly business like in tone, after he threw smoldering looks at me throughout dinner, feeling respected for my skills and intelligence and annoyed with myself that I'm spending more time focusing on a male fae than on an oncoming war, all at once. To say I'm conflicted is an understatement and I realize I have to pull myself out of it as soon as possible.

No matter how I feel about its king, I came here to help the Labyrinth. I don't want to be a nuisance.

I nod as a response to Jareth, before sitting down next to him. "Please, tell me all I need to know," I say gently. Just when he opens his mouth, a goblin comes in, looking panicked. Louis and Kate follow Jareth's subject, a mixture of concern and curiosity written on their faces.

"The outer walls of Lab'rinth, kingy! They black and hurt!"

Jareth curses in a language I don't understand, before looking at the goblin.

"Pip! Show me where the Labyrinth is hurt!" Pip nods before running out of the door, followed by his king. He motions towards us when he reaches the doorway.

"Come with me and be careful!" he hisses, shock clearly on his face.


	7. Weeping walls

In the dark chapter 7: Weeping walls

**I don't own the Labyrinth. I will own a copy of the new CD David Bowie will release in a few months, though ;). Thanks to anyone who has read and/or reviewed and/or following/favoring it!**

Jareth's PoV

After ordering everyone but Louis to stay behind in my dining room, I transport myself to the outer walls, where Gip the goblin is already waiting for me. The moment I leave the safety of my castle, I feel bruised, battered and old, as a result to the direct link my magic has to the labyrinth. The castle acts like a protective barrier in situations like these but the moment I leave it, the protection is gone. As a result, the magical damage to the labyrinth makes me feel like I'm bruised and sore all over. The pain hits me as though I've walked into an invisible wall and it makes me stumble.

A hand steadies me and when I turn around, I'm facing Sarah. I quickly hide the flash of pain in my eyes, shielding it behind annoyance. Apparently, she had grabbed Louis' shoulder the moment he'd transported himself, bringing her along with him. I hiss at them about how they don't obey my orders but their defiance is not the cause of my anger. It's my annoyance that, despite everything, I do not wish to look vulnerable in front of _her_. Besides, the fact that magical damage to the Labyrinth will deplete my own resources and hurt me, is something I don't wish to share with Sarah yet and judging by the looks he gives me, Louis knows this. Also judging by the look on his face, however, he clearly feels that I should tell her. I try to convince them that I'm annoyed but ok but they don't appear to believe me, since they still give me worried glances.

We look around as Pip points towards the black outer walls. "Lab'rinth hurt there kingy."

I nod before dismissing him. Louis follows me as I walk to the damaged wall, Sarah trailing behind us. I had sensed the location of the damage before Pip had pointed it out, since my own pain had started to grow worse and worse as we drew closer.

Now I stare at the dark outer walls of my kingdom's Labyrinth and fight the urge to vomit. I know that if I touch the stone, it will crumble to dust underneath my fingers. The eyes of the leeches are closed and the tree standing next to it, is dying. I pinch the bridge of my nose before discretely touching the back of my head, trying to cure the pounding headache that's bothering me ever since I've transported out of my castle. The pain decreases slightly and I turn my attention to Louis and Sarah.

"The outer walls are infected. I need to close them off from the remaining part of the labyrinth to stop it from spreading. Sarah, go and grab some salt, out of the three of us, you're the only one who can touch it directly. Louis, stay with me, I require your assistance," I say stiffly before offering her a transportation crystal so she doesn't have to walk back and forth between the castle and the outer walls.

My plan is to create an extra strong restoration spell for the damaged walls, together with Louis, while Sarah will circle salt around it, making the area impenetrable for anyone with magic. As a result, the spell will be able to repair the wall in peace. Also, it will make _me_ feel better soon.

Sarah looks at the crystal doubtfully before grabbing it and disappearing.

After she has left, Louis looks at me worriedly. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine Louis," I say. He doesn't look convinced but lets the subject go. Unfortunately, though, if I had known to which subject he would change, I wish he had continued to worry about my health.

"It was handy I allowed her to come along as I transported myself here, wasn't it?" he points out as we create the spell.

I glare at him.

"Don't. That's an order." Since we actually do need Sarah to handle the salt, Louis is right but I'd rather take a sip of the bog than admit that.

"Have you told her how magical damage to the Labyrinth damages you?"

"No and I forbid you to tell her."

"It may increase her trust in you. I've heard female humans value trustworthiness."

"By appearing weak in front of her?" Why am I even answering this?

"By the gods, you've got it bad, Jareth."

"Louis, do not forget your station," I say bitingly. I don't like reminding Louis of the fact that in the end, he's still my servant since he's like a brother to me but I've got enough on my mind without Louis' attempts at matchmaking.

"I apologize, your majesty."

I see the hurt on his face and I sigh. This whole situation puts everyone on edge and acting out on my best friend and one of the few people I can trust right now, is not going to help me.

"Apology accepted, Louis but leave the subject of Sarah and my _alleged _feelings for her alone right now or you're on paperwork duty for a week."

Louis raises an eyebrow but remains silent. The tension eases around us as we work, though.

Moments after we've finished creating the restoration spell, Sarah appears in front of me and now, it's her turn to stumble as she clearly isn't used to transporting herself through magical means. I quickly catch her, stopping her from falling headfirst against the walls.

"Very graceful."

"Thank you," she replies sarcastically and I raise an eyebrow.

"Don't you know you should never thank the Fae? You're indebted to me now, precious."

She snorts before showing me the bag of salt. "Do you really want to say these things to me while I'm holding something I can use as a weapon against you? Anyway, I've brought the salt. What do you want me to do, Jareth?''

Unable to resist, I smirk as I deliberately allow my gaze to wander over her body. "That's a rather open-ended question, Sarah."

"Jareth!" She shivers slightly when she hears me say her name, before glaring at me.

"Get your head out of the oubliette, Goblin King. Now, how can I use this salt to help the labyrinth?"

Asking the right questions, aren't you, Sarah mine? I think by myself as I look at her.

"Make a ring of salt around the damaged wall, it will stop the poisonous magic from spreading," I instruct her. "It doesn't require a lot of salt, as long as the line you draw around the wall isn't broken."

"Good. I was afraid we didn't have enough salt."

"In that case, I could transport Janet and Kate back to the above so they can buy more. I shall pay for the expense, of course."

"Wouldn't that be dangerous? The darkness is looking for a portal to the above, after all."

"I don't think so, Lady Sarah, we'll keep an eye on the portal and besides, your friends are not the people the darkness is after. It attacked you that evening because you're the champion of the labyrinth, Lady Janet and Lady Kate were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time," Louis points out.

"Louis is right, Sarah. Out of everyone, they'll be in the least amount of danger."

"Good." Sarah turns her attention to the bag of salt in her hands, before grabbing a pinch and starting her work.

She looks up when she's done. "If you need me to handle the salt because it's poisonous to you, how did you use salt against black magic before Janet, Kate and I offered our help? Or didn't you use any at all?"

"Well, I can touch the bag of salt but I simply cannot touch its contents directly with bare hands and grab a pinch of it. While protective gloves may help, even they don't help a fae sufficiently enough to touch the salt longer than a few minutes without temporarily losing his, or her, own magic. This is the same for any creature with magic, which is why only humans can touch it, let alone use it in food. The magic will return, though but the loss of it is not recommendable in a battle and the experience of losing one's magic is not very comfortable, either. Thankfully, the walls of the labyrinth haven't been attacked since my father was king. I do remember his stories of how he simply threw the contents of an entire bag of salt on the walls, using magic to avoid touching the bag directly. However, even this action weakened his powers. Personally, I prefer having my magic with me at all times. Plus, since salt is a simple but effective weapon, I do suggest we're careful with it and not spend too much of it every time we need it, so we can use it more often without having to send Kate and Janet back to go shopping."

Sarah nods in understanding. "Well, in that case, Kate and I can handle the iron and the salt, when necessary. In that case, we'll probably do more damage than the Darkness will expect."

Louis and I share a look, neither of us wanting to dash her hopes in. "Well, you still need to learn to use the iron in a fight, if I may say so, Lady Sarah," Louis points out carefully.

"Besides, there's still a chance they try to brainwash you," I add, my voice rough. Every time I have to mention this, I'm reminded of Jeromy's faith.

Sarah notices the pain in my eyes and looks at me worryingly. The moment she opens her mouth to respond, I quickly jump up and tell everyone to go back to the castle to plan our next step. I offer her my arm to transport her along with me, while Louis leaves on his own. When I look at Sarah, I can see the wariness in her eyes. She knows I'm keeping things from her and knowing her, she'll confront me sooner or later about it.

How much should I tell her? It's not a lack of trust. In fact, despite our rocky start, I know I can trust her. However, I'm well aware the moment I start to share more personal information, the more vulnerable I will become. Unfortunately, being vulnerable in front of her is something I truly wish to avoid, especially considering how our final conversation during her run in the labyrinth ended. The words 'you have no power over me,' still hurt, even after all these years. So, what am I to do? My original plan had been to remain aloof towards her but somehow I seem to forget that, every time I see her. On top of that, war is brewing and even if I allow myself to give her a glimpse of who I am behind the mask of the villainous Goblin King she met when she was fifteen, I'll increase her risk. After all, I cannot risk the darkness discovering that she has become my biggest weakness.

I will remain aloof with her. Or at least I'll strife to be.

Then why do I feel like this plan is doomed to fail?


	8. It ain't easy

In the dark Chapter 8: It ain't easy

**A/n: I don't own the Labyrinth**

Sarah's PoV

What on earth is going on with Jareth? He either flirts with me or acts aloof and frankly, it's annoying Plus, it's also rather obvious he's hiding things from me; every time he mentions how easily humans can be brainwashed, I hear the pain in his voice….

I pace around in my bedroom, pondering his actions. While I realize now there's more to the Goblin King than the haughty villain I met when I was a teenager, the fact that he won't tell me what's going on is making me anxious. How much exactly is hiding from me? After he had told me the history of the tribunal, I had believed he was starting to trust me but now I realize this wasn't the case. After all, not a single sentence in his story had been personal. In fact, if he had simply given me a history book, I would have received the exact same information I have now. While I understand he just can't tell me everything, I would have liked if he had opened up just a little more. I'm risking my neck here to save his kingdom, the least he could do was offer information.

Then again, why do I want him to trust and confide in me so badly? Why does it hurt me when he's being aloof?

Of course, part of the reason that I wish Jareth would just confide in me, is because it will make our collaboration run smoother and it enables us to protect those we care for. Besides, a lack of trust on both sides will probably cause unwanted distraction.

In all honesty, it's distracting me already. Instead of discussing strategies with the Goblin King, I'm holed up in my room, pondering why said king doesn't trust me! Plus, I could have figured out earlier that carrying salt with me at all times could have been handy. Instead I had to go back to the castle to retrieve it after the damaged walls had been discovered, losing precious time as a result. Then again, I'm obviously not the only one who's distracted. Jareth could have realized earlier that one of the benefits of having humans on his side, is that me and my friends can touch chemicals poisonous to his kind.

However, had I simply wished that Jareth would trust me solely because it would make collaboration easier, I wouldn't be so irked right now. Annoying fae.

Of course, I shouldn't blame Jareth entirely for this, since I'm still wary of him too. How can I ask him to trust me if I don't give him that same trust in return? Despite our rocky past, he did save our asses back in New York. However, while building trust takes time, we both should be willing to at least try to lose some of our resentment or else we'll fall back into our old roles far too easily. It doesn't take much for Jareth to be the ever arrogant bastard whereas I regress back into the whiny and spoilt girl I was before whishing Toby away.

Which is why I'm going to confront Jareth about this; if we truly have to work in close quarters together, we have to let go of old resentment. We simply cannot let our past dominate our present and future, not with a war brewing.

A few minutes later I've gathered my courage and nervously knock on the door of Jareth's office. He doesn't look up from the paperwork he's filling out.

"We need to talk," I say bluntly. This draws his attention as he raises his head and his eyes finally meet mine.

"Before Gip warned us about the outer walls, you would tell me all I need to know. What's going on, Jareth? Really?"

As a reaction, he simply raises an eyebrow as if he doesn't know what I'm talking about and I resist the urge to stomp my feet. Great, why do I feel like I'm pulling teeth here? Somehow, Jareth can turn me into my fifteen-year-old self again and it's bothering me. I've already had my teenage years, I don't need a repeat performance.

That's when I realize I had simply assumed Jareth would tell me everything, something he never agreed to. Right. Never assume anything here, especially not when dealing with Jareth.

I sigh deeply before explaining myself.

"Look Jareth, I get that we have history. I also understand that perhaps, you aren't really thrilled that me and my friends are here. However, I am here now anyway, so we might as well make the most of it."

Jareth nods in understanding, looking thoughtfully.

"The point that I'm trying to make that although we're, unsurprisingly, a bit wary of each other, couldn't we at least try to trust each other instead of riling each other up? We're not opponents anymore and although it is very tempting sometimes, the threat of war is too serious for us to turn into bratty spoiled girl and haughty arrogant bastard again. "

I hold out my hand to him so he can shake it. "So, partners?

He smiles before nodding. "Partners." His next move is unexpected; instead of shaking my hand he bends over and kisses it. He doesn't give me a leery look and I realize this is truly his peoples' version of a handshake. However, the moment his lips touch my skin I have to repress a shiver when I notice how soft they are.

He grabs a few maps from a drawer before sitting down at his mahogany desk again and offering me a seat.

"Well, if you're hell-bent on becoming a strategist, you may need these," Jareth motions to the maps. I bow forward to look at them and recognize certain parts of the Labyrinth I came across during my run, like the Junkyard and the Fiery forest. What surprises me, though, is that the labyrinth only takes up about 20 percent of Jareth's lands. I never knew the Goblin Kingdom was so big.

Jareth notices the eager look in my eyes and when his meet mine, his gaze is surprisingly gentle and soft. "After this trouble is over, I could give you a tour of my country, if you want to," he offers and I smile at him.

"Thanks, that would be lovely!"

I eye the map curiously as I gather my thoughts. After all, it's not like I've ever been a strategist before. However, I do realize I have some talent for it, or else I wouldn't have been able to beat the Labyrinth, right?

My thoughts are disturbed by a knock at the door. Bartholomew and Louis enter and I realize that as Jareth's army commander and personal assistant, they probably need to be present when we plan our next move.

Why do I feel disappointed now that I realize it isn't just going to be Jareth and me? Trying to ignore my inner struggle, I smile at the men instead as they sit down.

"Everyone, how have you handled the attacks of the darkness so far? Have you spotted the ex-Tribunal members behind all this yet? Especially that Kelpie…Breva was it?"

The guys glance at each other.

"Well, so far there have been no sightings of Breva yet, however we're planning to send spies to outer lands she was banished to. Unfortunately, we still haven't send them yet."

Jareth stands up and starts pacing around.

"So far, we had believed that if we only created a protective barrier around my kingdom and have the allegiance of the neighboring lands, it would have been sufficient to hold the darkness back. It seems we have underestimated them, for they shouldn't have been able to come to the above and attack you and your friends, or move past the barriers and attack the outer walls."

"In that case, we better start planning. Do you have the allegiance of all countries neighboring the Goblin kingdom?'

At my innocent question, Bartholomew starts to choke on the wine he is drinking, Louis raises an eyebrow and seems to be holding back a laugh, while Jareth glares at his two employees.

"Well my lady…"Bartholomew starts but the look of his king silences him.

Jareth moves in front of me and I notice a flash of unease and guilt in his eyes before he schools his features in a carefully neutral look.

"Trust me precious, we have the allegiance of everyone that matters."

He gently touches my check briefly before glaring at Louis and Bartholomew again.

"As for _her_, she is of no importance, right now."

Who is the woman Jareth is referring to? Whoever it is, I do sense there's quite a bit of history between her and the Goblin King. Judging by his unease, my first guess it that _she_ is an ex but if so, why doesn't he tell me? If so, why does he give _me _a guilty look?


	9. What's really happening

In the dark Chapter 9: What's really happening

**I don't own the Labyrinth. Thank you for all the reviews!**

Bartholomew's PoV

After the meeting, Louis and I take a walk through the King's Gardens to discuss our new plans in private. As loyal as we are to Jareth and as much as we like the ladies, both of us are slightly worried that this whole situation is going to be far more complex than we originally had believed. It wasn't just a simple matter of us against Breva and her minions. Perhaps it never was.

"So, what do you think, Louis?" I ask carefully.

"Well, I'm pleased with most of the plans so far. Since there's no actual battle yet, we can use the time to sent spies to the outer lands, get an idea what Breva's up to and train the women in the meantime," Louis answers, looking thoughtfully.

"However," he continues, "I do believe that these aspects of the plan, isn't what's worrying both of us, isn't it?"

I nod. " I do think it's a very good idea to make use of the fact that our three human allies can touch salt. Allowing them to make a protective ring of the stuff around the outer walls of the Labyrinth, will effectively bar the main entrances. Making sure the darkness won't be able to enter the maze, the castle or the great stretch of lands behind it, is strategically a smart move, especially since the other parts of the kingdom are surrounded by the Midwinter forests anyway. On the other hand, Jareth's decision not to tell Sarah about the connection he has with his lands, wasn't a smart move, in my honest opinion."

"I tried to convince him, you know," Louis points out. "I told him to admit that while he doesn't feel it every time a flower dies within the Labyrinth, he does feel bruised all over when the actual walls are broken down. Jareth's magic is linked to the labyrinth and vice versa, which is why it's so powerful. I don't believe throwing salt on its borders will truly diminish the labyrinth's and therefore Jareth's, power force but since we've never tried this before, who knows what will happen? The salt may keep the Darkness from entering again but perhaps the salt will indirectly hurt his majesty. I do believe taking this chance is worth it, though, for he will probably feel very little of it. However, it would be best if at least Lady Sarah knows this, even if all the salt will do, is make Jareth more cranky."

I snort. "Jareth admitting his weaknesses in front of Sarah? Fat chance. Have you seen the way he looks at her? And she at him? Don't get me wrong, I like the plan we have so far, Jareth will always have my loyalty and I like Janet, Kate and Sarah but I do worry that Sarah's presence may influence the decisions Jareth makes. Normally I wouldn't have cared but with this war brewing…"

I pause, gathering my thoughts.

"For example, take Jareth's decision not to talk to Queen Angelica. True, normally they don't need Breva to start a war because they're quite capable of starting one themselves the moment they spend more than 5 minutes in a room together. On the other hand, though, they are capable of fighting a common enemy when truly necessary. Now, however, Jareth refuses to even mention her."

"Could he be right, though, Bartholomew? Is it really necessary to drag her into this?"

"I don't know Louis, I honestly don't. Nevertheless, my problem isn't Jareth's decision to refuse a meeting with her, it's his motivation behind it. Isn't he willing to talk to her and make her his ally because it's truly not necessary yet, or is it because he doesn't want for his precious Sarah to meet the ex-wife? I've seen the guilty look in his eyes when the queen was mentioned. Of course, she did quite a lot of damage to both Jeromy's and Sarah's life and I can tell Jareth's still feels guilty. Of course, if Sarah and Angelica were to meet, the latter will probably mention all the mistakes Jareth made in his marriage, too, something Jareth clearly doesn't want Sarah to know. After all, it's clear how besotted he is with her. Normally I would be the first to wish him good luck in his attempts to woo her but this, nor Jeromy's fate, shouldn't be at the forefront of his mind right now."

At the mention of my doomed old friend and Jareht's brother, Louis freezes.

"Shouldn't Jeromy's death be on his majesties mind? Think about it; so far, we always believed it to be an isolated attempt of a few rogue faes who had brainwashed a few humans but what if it wasn't? What if something had been brewing in the outer lands for far longer than we realize?"

I stop walking as well, before looking at Louis. "In that case, we really need to discuss these concerns with the king. Let's go."

Sarah's PoV

I curiously listen to Glenrir, the royal healer of the Goblin Kingdom, as he explains the physiological differences between fae and humans. While Glenrir has taken on Janet as a protégé because of her experience as a nurse, he has offered Kate and me a few lessons on the basics of fae medicine. As a result, we will be able to treat the most common injuries during battle, should it be necessary. While all three of us are a bit tired from the fighting lessons Bartholomew gave us this morning, all of us agreed that it was better to train as much as we could in order to prepare for the battle we'll face sooner or later.

After the lesson, Glenrir walks over to me, his movement slowed by age. His looks remind me of the Wiseman, although, thankfully, he doesn't wear a hat in the shape of a talking bird.

"My dear, hasn't Jareth told you about your own magic? Foolish boy."

I freeze. Magic? Me? What was he talking about? By the way, why does he talk about Jareth as though Jareth is behaving like an unruly child? While I cannot disagree with Glenrir, he's still king. Not knowing on how to respond, I simply raise an eyebrow. Glenrir smiles, noticing my confusion.

"The reason why I speak about Jareth the way I do, is because I watched him grow up. Of course, I use his title during official business but not now. You're among Jareth's most trusted advisors, milady, in so far a king can trust anyone. The same goes for Bartholomew and Louis by the way, they grew up with him. Oh the trouble they got into as children…." He sighs and I can't help but to picture a small mischievous blonde boy with big blue eyes, accompanied by a gangly red-head and a shorter black-haired boy, all three of them getting in trouble.

"Anyway, you do have magic Lady Sarah, I can see it clearly. As for explanations, you'd better go to the king."

Five minutes later I barge into Jareth's office. He looks up from the paperwork he's filing out.

"Yes?"

"Do I have magical powers?"

"Yes."

Why does he stay so calm and collected? It really grinds my gears.

"What magical powers do I have? Why didn't you tell me I had them?" I ask between clenched teeth.

"The power of words. You're remarkably strategic for a human too, almost faelike. Really Sarah, you should pay more attention for you really could have figured this out earlier."

"What do you mean?"

He rolls his eyes and stays silent. Great, what to say next? Well, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, right?"

"Please Jareth, how could I have figured out I have magic?" The power of words, apparently. Apparently, they are the right words to use, for Jareth's eyes soften.

" Think back of your run through the Labyrinth, Sarah. Did you never realize that the moment you opened your mouth to say something, it enabled you to take the next step? You asked me for a way to get your brother back and Hogward to show you how to enter the Labyrinth, we both obliged. You pointed out how the outer walls appeared to have no twists and turns whatsoever and the worm showed up. You even managed to make friends along the way! I can guarantee you, not many people in your position back then, would have done so. You became a champion for a reason, precious, just like I gave you an advisory role now."

There's a look in his eyes I can't really place as he says this and I swallow nervously, suddenly feeling shy. The moment is interrupted when we hear a cough behind us. We turn around and see Louis and Bartholomew standing in the open doorway.

"Permission to enter, Jareth?" Bartholomew asks and the king nods.

"Will you excuse us for a moment, Sarah?" Jareth asks and I notice how the tone in his voice had turned formal. I nod and leave.

The moment I leave Jareth's office, I nearly bump into Glenrir, who looks at me curiously. "Well? Did he tell you about your magic?"

"He did, thanks. But why the curiosity, though?"

He smirks. "My dear, I'm helping the country. Just consider me a concerned citizen."

"Fair enough. However, I still don't know how my powers can be of any help! Just point and say 'heal' the moment I see someone with a broken arm?"

Glenrir snorts before fading away.

"Wait, don't go! I need an answer!"

"Learning how to use your skills is half the challenge, my dear. You'll discover it soon enough," are Glenrir's parting words.

"Great, he's just as cryptic as Jareth. No wonder where he got that from, then," I mumble.

I go back to my room to ponder this new information in peace.

"How do I use my powers?" I ask out loud as I pace a hole in the floor a few moments later. "Apparently I have the power of using the right words. How could I use this? Perhaps I could ask Jareth if I can borrow some spell books from his library, if he has them. Maybe I could use my power to convince others as a strategy? Wait, didn't he say I have surprisingly strong strategic skills as well?"

I sigh and sit down. It has been a long day but I wonder if I'll get a sufficient amount of sleep with all my worrying.

"Right, Jareth said I had strategic skills based on my performance during my Labyrinth run. What did I do that's strategic?" I ponder out loud. Nothing seems to come to mind for during most of my run, I simply felt panicked, especially during the times I had been alone.

"I used Hoggle's love for jewels and jewelry to bribe him…Wait's that's it!" I yell. "If I can use Hoggle's weaknesses against him and gained his help. Jareth did the same with the drugged peach and his threat to turn Toby into a goblin. Would he truly have done so? I'm old enough to admit my own blame since I was the one who actually wished him away but still…. Then again, he only said he would turn him into 'one of them forever' but what does that mean? Is my assumption that Toby would be turned into a goblin, wrong? I really should ask him about this, I can't believe I forgot while it used to be the first question I'd always imagine asking Jareth if I ever saw him again. Then again, after being nearly killed, should I blame myself for getting distracted?"

Forcing myself to focus on the matter at hand, I stand up and start pacing again. My thoughts really are a jumbled mess.

"Perhaps Breva has a weakness too. The darkness certainly has because it's nothing but black magic and can't handle salt." My mind drifts back to Jareth and the way his gaze softens, the moment I ask him something in a more polite way than I usually do.

"What if Jareth's weakness…was me? I have certain powers, given by the Goblin King. What if he had truly been in love with me after all?"


	10. Chapter 10

Hey every one,

_Look up here, I'm in heaven_

_I've got scars that can't be seen_

_I've got drama, can't be stolen_

_Everybody knows me now_

_Oh I'll be free now_

_Just like that blue bird_

_Oh I'll be free_

_Ain't that just like me_

While I'm planning to write another chapter next week, writing Labyrinth fiction feels somehow odd now. David Bowie's music helped me through some rather tough times, to be honest and the news of his death is only just sinking in now. I'd like to take this moment to pay my respect to an amazingly talented man and though I doubt they will read it, offer my condolences to his wife, children, family and friends.

Thank you for the magic, David.

**David Robert Jones**

**1947-2016**

**Rest in piece**


	11. Always crashing in the same car

**In the Dark Chapter 10: Always crashing in the same car**

**I don't own the Labyrinth**

Jareth's PoV

I pace around in my office as I ponder Bartholomew's and Louis' words. Could they be right? Wasn't the painful end of my brother an isolated event, like I always believed it was? Had Breva been planning her revenge in secret, all these years?

My thoughts are disturbed by someone knocking on my office door. Before I can tell him or her to enter, Sarah bursts in, looking agitated.

"If I hadn't won the Labyrinth, what would have happened to Toby? Would you really have turned him into a goblin?"

Turned him…? Vexing girl.

I give her an incredulous look. "Sarah, goblins procreate the usual way and they do so as rabbits. Toby would have been adopted by one of my kind. Fae love children. Furthermore, what happened to your whole 'let's-be-friends-speech'? So quick to cast me into the role of villain, aren't you? Have you forgotten how we met? It was you who wished the boy away Sarah, not me."

While I keep my facial expression neutral, the fact that Sarah acts this way, hurts me more than I'm willing to admit.

Her features soften with guilt before she sighs.

"You're right Jareth, I'm sorry."

She looks so forlorn that I find myself accepting her apology surprisingly quickly.

"You're forgiven. I assume I have answered your question sufficiently?"

She nods and turns to leave.

"Sarah, wait."

She turns around and smiles.

"Next time, please don't barge into my room but wait until I let you in precious. I am king, you know."

She nods, her shoulders slumping. Doesn't she realize that I'm not always able to answer her back and call? I'm swamped with work! Besides, I often have guests who look down upon humans, certainly if they happens to treat me like a normal person, instead of a king. I'm saying it out of a need to protect her, not because I don't want her near me!

"Precious…." Something in the tone of my voice makes her look up.

"I have my reasons for all the things I say and do…Sarah," the words come out clumsily, for I'm not exactly used to explaining my actions.

"You really have no idea, don't you? We're in danger."

I just realize my brother's painful end was deliberately, the darkness is threatening my kingdom and the first woman to really, _really_ turn my head in centuries, manages to place herself in dangerous situations every hour without her even realizing yet. And I'm behind on paperwork. Such a pity.

She walks over to me before gently touching my cheek. I don't push her hand away. Her eyes are concerned.

"You're worried, aren't you."

I don't give an answer but the look in my eyes tells her enough.

She sighs and lets her hand drop before sitting down and looking at me.

"Well, we do have some strategic plans, don't we? Louis and Bartholomew are sending spies to the outer lands as we speak."

I nod. "Unfortunately, the damaged labyrinth still has to be taken care of, just like Breva's dark clouds, striking up an alliance with the neighboring countries will be quite a hassle and people always manage to wish away others the moment I'm swamped with paperwork too."

My worries come tumbling out of my mouth before I can stop them. Why am I telling her this?!

She looks at me before gently grabbing my hand. "I can imagine it's a lot to deal with Jareth but know you're not alone. We will face one problem at the time, together." Those words pull a smile from me, the first real smile since Pip showed me the destruction of the Labyrinth.

"I've been thinking though; Breva's clouds are nothing but black magic right? Can't Janet, Kate and I just throw salt at them? Would that help?"

I ponder her suggestion for a moment. "That probably would help, yes," I admit. "I never considered it a solution before because my kind can't handle salt very well either but yours can."

She gives me a big grin. "Well, that's one problem down, then. Maybe you could send Kate and Janet to the above to buy some extra bags because I do think we really are going to need a lot of salt in that case. Hopefully it doesn't damage the Labyrinth too much, though."

"If I have to chose between salt and black magic, salt is probably the lesser of two evils," I point out.

On the other hand, I really hope the salt isn't too damaging, I still feel sore from the damage to the Labyrinth walls. I don't voice those thoughts, though. I feel tired.

As if she can read my mind, Sarah gives me a concerned look. "Jareth, when was the last time you had a decent night of sleep? You look exhausted. Even kings need to take a break once in a while."

I glare at her. Who does she think she is, ordering me around?!

Then again, she's the only one who probably can.

Angelica's PoV

I gaze out of the window in my chambers, looking bored. In the distance, I can see Breva's dark magic traveling to Jareth's kingdom. His magic barely holds it back and I'm curious how he's going to try to protect his imbecilic subjects next. The thought of Jareth struggling against the dark hordes makes me smile. "Serves him right," I mutter.

A knock on the door disturbs my thoughts. Richacotta, my assistant enters.

"A letter from Chason, milady."

I accept the letter, take a quick look at it and throw it in the fire.

"Aren't you going to answer it, milady?" Richacotta asks.

"I know what the old dwarf is going to say. Just because we share a mutual dislike for a certain someone, does not mean I'm going to join forces with him, Rich. Besides, Jareth still has his usefulness."

"What about the girl? According to my sources, the champion has decided to join forces with him."

I feel a surge of white hot rage at this news but quickly school my features.

"The involvement of the girl can be handy. While openly attacking Jareth is a bad idea, the same can't be said for _her_," I point out while inspecting my fingernails.

"You are dismissed, Richacotta."

When I'm alone again, I sit down at my desk to plan. While I have no desire whatsoever to reconcile with my ex-husband, I'm quite aware of the power he has. I was the one he married, it should be mine, not the girls'! That being said, she does make him vulnerable, which is something I can work with.

After all, if Jareth's usefulness had expired, perhaps I would have join forces with Chason. Then again, the dwarf is frustratingly dull. While Breva and I don't always see eye to eye, she at least got character, which is more than I can say for Chanlers embittered brother.

As I look around, I realize my chambers look exactly the same as they did when Jareth and I were still married.

I refuse to call myself embittered too, though.

**A/n: Well, writing this chapter was a challenge, to be honest but according to the various stories circulating on the internet right now, David Bowie wanted to be remembered for his art and manage to create a masterpiece on his deathbed, so I do believe writing this is just another way to honor him and carry on the legacy. **

**Speaking of which, I'm really not sure what to think about the Labyrinth sequel rumors. While I genuinely want to give it a chance, I'm not really thrilled about the timing. Six months ago a sequel was denied but 2 weeks after Bowie's death, they're suddenly making a sequel?! That being said, I hope they at least bother to ask Jennifer Connely and make sure Terry Jones and David's estate are involved. Without them, I doubt I want to see that movie, to be honest. **


	12. Queen Bitch

**In the dark Chapter 11: Queen Bitch**

**I don't own the Labyrinth. The cursive paragraph indicates a flashback.**

Sarah's PoV

After that late-night conversation with Jareth, my days are filled with sword-fighting lessons, a basic healthcare and medicine course and meetings with said Goblin King, Bartholomew and Louis. Then, it was time for bed and when I could, give updates to Janet and Kate. Jareth had send letters to allies and his best spies to the outer lands but while Jareth did receive replies, none of them were really eager. Instead, appointments were planned and if those went well, we'd have allies. If not…well, let's be positive and assume it doesn't happen, right? So for now, all we could do was prepare for battle, plan and wait.

Especially the waiting is keeping everyone on the edge. While we had made it a habit of dining together and usually attempt to enjoy the moment while doing so, everyone is nervous and the tension is high. No one wants to mention the pink elephant standing in the corner of the room but it's the very first thing on everyone's mind. Tomorrow, we would receive a visit from one of Jareth's possible allies, although no one seems to be looking forward to the event.

_I had just finished a rather grueling sword-fighting training when I made my way to Jareth's office for our daily meeting. After Louis had opened the door to let me in, I was faced by three uncomfortable looking men. While Louis and Bartholomew gave the impression that they didn't know whether to be relieved, amused of wary, Jareth simply looked grumpy. _

"_Angelica will be visiting us in a fortnight," Jareth says by way of greeting. He doesn't look pleased._

"_Hello to you too," I say slightly confused. After working with him on a daily basis, our usual rapport was friendly, so I didn't know what to think of his aloof mood. Besides, didn't he refuse to meet Angelica before?_

"_Who is Angelica anyway?"_

"_Queen of the trolls," Jareth mutters._

"_Jareth's ex-wife," Bartholomew whispers at the same time._

_I raise my eyebrow. Well, that does explain his nibs' sullen mood. Let me guess, Angelica was probably the mysteriously 'she' the guys had talked about before, wasn't she?_

"_Tough divorce?" I ask him. _

_Jareth glares at Bartholomew before sighing. _

"_While we don't see eye to eye on some things…"_

"_Everything", Louis softly interrupt._

"_Will you two shut up?! Yes, I'm well-aware of the current status of my relationship I have with my ex-wife, thank you very much. However, she and I still are able to stand together as one when faced with a mutual foe. Or at least, I am. Not sure about her, though." The king mutters that last part._

"_So let me get this straight; the first possibly ally I'm meeting with the three of you, is your estranged ex-wife, Jareth? With all due respect but do you think this is a good idea? Weren't there other allies as well?"_

_Jareth looks up at me. I see a spark of sadness in his eyes before he quickly schools his features._

"_Honestly, while I would have preferred meeting my other old allies before her visit, I do believe one meeting cannot harm and meetings with our other allies are planned as well. Besides, her lands are the closest to the outer lands and I doubt it if she would like it if Breva and her troops were starting to run amok in her country either. After all, they likely have to cross her lands before reaching mine. Since she's already a big fan of sharing….information….I'm sure she's willing to share some with us too, for a price._

"_Why do I feel information is a euphemism for something?'_

_Based on Jareth's expression, I get the idea that the topic is making him highly uncomfortable but why? I have asshole exes too, just like Janet and Kate. True, I've never married them and they aren't royalty but principle is the same, right?_

"_Let's just say my ex-wife is a fan of kiss-and-tell, whereas I'm not."_

"_What did she do? Shared all your secrets with the Underground version of a gossip magazine?"_

"_Something like that. Anyway, while we have received word from the Queen of the trolls, I do look forward to meeting King Enovis, Queen Ina and King Ireed again….."_

_After dinner, Bartholomew approached me in the hallways, careful not to be overheard by his king_

"_Look Sarah, his majesty is going to be angry when he discovers that I have told you this but Louis and I believe you deserve to know. It took us hours to convince him to see Angelica and while his attitude isn't surprising considering how messy their break-up was, the situation is dire enough for Jareth to put his own feelings aside for the sake of the country."_

_I look at him curiously."I get Jareth isn't thrilled with the idea of being reunited with his ex-wife but why are you telling me this?"_

_Bartholomew looks more uncomfortable by the minute, before sighing. "While Jareth isn't perfect, Angelica isn't innocent either and incredibly bitter to boot. Do take her words with a bag of salt, please."_

"_So, she's a bitch who talks lowly of Jareth and I shouldn't take her seriously when it comes to her ex-husband?"_

_Judging by the look on his face, Bartholomew doesn't know what the word ''bitch'' means but gets it isn't a polite term. "Something like that," he nods._

"_Well…the question still stands, Bartholomew. Why are you telling me this? While I may have believed Jareth was a villainous king when I was fifteen, I have grown up since then and after working with him on a daily basis, I actually enjoy his company. I highly doubt his ex-wife will be able to convince me he's the root of all evil. In fact, even if I had hated him, I would still work together with him to fight Breva and company, they attacked me, remember."_

_Bartholomew smiles. "Glad to hear that, we can use that confidence."_

_I raise an eyebrow. "Do you think Angelica will join forces with Breva to attack her ex? Is she really that spiteful?"_

_My sword-fighting teacher snorts. "Spiteful? She certainly is. However, I doubt she's so stupid to openly join forces with Breva. It wouldn't surprise me if she decides to remain neutral in this war and try to make deals with others that will be only beneficial to herself in the end instead."_

"_So, she's not to be trusted?"_

"_Exactly"._

My thoughts are interrupted when Jeevah, Jareth's old butler enters our dining room_. _

"Lady Angelica has arrived, your majesty."

Jareth sighs, looking grumpy. "Alright, I suppose you can let her in, Jeevah."

A few moments later, a fae woman with a glittery, bright red dress walks in and I stare at her. She's pretty, yes, I wouldn't have expected otherwise. However, my first thought is that she looks remarkably similar to her ex-husband. In fact, if I didn't know better, I would have thought they'd be related at first glance. Her eyes are far less piercing though and she misses the warmth in her smile Jareth has, or his grace.

Then again, maybe that's just me.

Then, her eyes meet Jareth's and the temperature in the room drops below zero.

Louis breaks the awkward silence.

"Good afternoon Lady Angelica, may I introduce you to Lady Sarah, champion on the Labyrinth."

Wait, what?

I awkwardly bow. She gives me a fake smile in return and I instantly dislike her. What did Jareth ever see in her? Why does it bother me that he once loved her? Did he ever love her? Or had it been an arranged marriage? Were marriages still arranged Underground?

"Charmed," Angelica says.

"Likewise," I say before offering her an equally fake smile. Two can play that game, after all.

Jareth's gestures to the table and we sit down. Jeevah and Louis, technically both footmen, leave as Bartholomew, Angelica, Jareth and I sit down.

The Goblin king clear his throat, a loud noise in the tense silence.

"So, Ladies, gentleman, shall we start?"

Something tells me it's going to be a very long afternoon.

After hours of discussion, I haven't got the feeling we've achieved anything. Exhausted, we decide to end the meeting for now and to continue the next day.

When I walk to my sleeping quarters, Angelica stops me.

"I'm curious why you're willing to work with Jareth, you haven't got a clue what he's done, haven't you?"

Despite everything, her words pique my curiosity.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't you realize who Jeromy is? Or should I say _Jeremy_?"

I raise an eyebrow. My mother left my father for a guy named Jeremy when I was eleven and I lost touch with her shortly thereafter. I haven't spoken to my mother, Jeremy or any other guy with that name, in years.

"I repeat my question, what are you talking about?"

She smirks. "Impressive, you're smarter than you look. As for an answer, ask my ex-husband. I'm sure he'd love to tell you. Please do so when I'm around by the way, I love to watch him squirm."

"Me too but this doesn't exactly give me more information."

Angelica smirks again before walking to the guestroom Jeevah has prepared for her.

"Just ask Jareth!"


	13. To get through this thing called life

**In the dark Chapter 12: To get through this thing called life**

**I don't own the Labyrinth. The cursive paragraph indicates a flashback**

Jareth's PoV

After that very long, very painful meeting with dear Angelica, I retreat into my office with Louis and Bartholomew and poor myself a drink. I certainly could use one after today.

"Tell me, why am I doing this again?" I ask my friends. "She isn't going to be an ally in this anyway, she hasn't been a real ally for years. Besides, there are plenty of others we can ask."

Bartholomew raises an eyebrow. "Also in times of crisis? Many are eager to show up at the masquerade balls but fail to show up when you really need them."

I wish Bartholomew wasn't correct. Unfortunately though, I learned the hard way. Many so-called allies had stayed away when I needed them before. They hadn't been willing to help my older brother, with King Enovis, King Ireed, Queen Ina, and Prince Nelson of the Paisley Kingdom as exceptions. I will never forget the day when I heard about my brother's foolish plans, nor the moment I discovered who had encouraged him.

_I give my wife an incredulous stare. "You actually motivated Jeromy to go above and seduce that woman?! Why?"_

_Angelica boredly looked up from the gossip magazine she was reading. Why she was reading that filth was beyond me but right now, I had more pressing matters on my mind. I quickly formed a crystal to gaze inside._

"_Angelica, that woman has a family. A husband and a little girl," I point out exasperatedly. I knew Jeromy was struggling with his feelings for that married woman, but the last time I spoke with him, he had decided to get over his feelings for her. Now, a month later, he's suddenly going to act upon his feelings because you, my own wife told him too?"_

_She raises an eyebrow. "Why are you so against this? Why do you care whether or not he sleeps with that human woman?"_

"_Why do I care if my own brother destroys a marriage, you mean? Because it's clear she isn't his soulmate, because that family deserves better, because most of the wish aways that enter the Goblin Kingdom are the results of failed marriage, because I've got a conscience?! Do you need more reasons?"_

_Wait, why am I even explaining myself here? I glare at her in such a way she finaly stops reading that dratted magazine and looks at me._

"_Besides, if marriage means so little to you, my dear, what does it say about our marriage? Should I question your loyalty as well?"_

_Her gaze softens. "No matter what happens, I am still your wife."_

_We separate 6 months later. By then, Jeromy had already realized his mistake and had broken up with her but still, her marriage had been ruined by the infidelity. In the meantime, he had fallen in love again, and had founded a company that made him rich. Unfortunately that had turned out to be his downfall as well…_

I stare at the small portrait of Jeromy I keep on my desk. I know I should tell Sarah, she deserves to know but then again, how shocked and disgusted will she be when she discovers this? Will it be a reason for her to turn away from me after we finaly started to get along?

Sarah's PoV

Another day, another endless, pointless meeting. After hours of debate, it is still unclear to me what Angelica wants in return for her alliance, or why she is even here in the first place. Why is she doing this? The moment she and Jareth have to speak with each other, the temperature in the room seems to freeze, this can't be fun for either of them. I decide to confront her about this, I've had enough and I really don't want to waste another day with a painful, useless meeting either.

Angelica raises an eyebrow when I'm finished.

"Well, I appreciate your candor. What I don't understand, though, is your blind devotion to Jareth."

This time I raise my eyebrow, if only to disguise my surprise at her blatant subject change.

"You know, I was like you once, wanting to help and support dear Jareth," she says, and I hear the venom in her voice when she mentions her ex-husband.

"Did you know the Labyrinth had been neglected for years when he came into power? The fact that the Labyrinth looks the way it does, is mostly thanks to me but Jareth never gave me any credit! Nor will he ever thank you for your help you know, all he does is to take you for granted."

Despite everything, her words strike a chord with me. Even though I don't trust her whatsoever, what if this information holds a kernel of truth? I decide to ask Jareth about his side of the story later but now, I wish to show Angelica that I'm not that easily swayed.

"While that, indeed, is not fair, you still haven't my questions Angelica. What do you wish in turn for your alliance and loyalty?"

That moment, the tense moment is broken by a loud noise; 5 goblins enter the hallway, drunkenly chasing a chicken and making an incredible racket. I suddenly can understand why Jareth bogs them so often.

When I turn around, Angelica has disappeared. Lovely.

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Apparently Angelica had just left the hallway to return to her chambers but by then, I really hadn't been in the mood to continue my conversation. In the meantime, the meetings with her continued to be fruitless.

"Well, that was pointless," Bartholomew sighs as he sips his whiskey in Jareth's office after another dull and, in the end, surprisingly pointless meeting. Louis, Bartholomew, Louis, Kate, Janet (who had returned from the above after buying all the kitchen salt in New York City, of course paid by the crown), Jareth and I are huddled together, thinking of our next step.

"We know we can't trust her," Janet points out. "Perhaps she's just delaying everything to buy more time for some reason."

"Because we really didn't know she was untrustworthy before inviting her," Jareth replies sarcastically.

"Well, at least we've got enough salt to use against the shadows," Kate sighs.

In the end, we decide to seek contact and make appointments with King Ireed, King Enovis and Queen Ina again, as well as Prince Nelson, who are hopefully more willing to help us than Angelica has been so far. Tomorrow is the last day of having to deal with her and everyone is looking forward to it. Then again, perhaps a miracle might happen tomorrow and she will actually tell us what she wants. I hadn't forgotten her words though and even though I feel bad for doing so, I confront Jareth about it after everyone else had left to go to bed, if only to hear his side of the story.

"Jareth, can I ask you something?" I ask carefully. He nods, looking at me curiously.

"I asked Angelica why she was doing all of this while it's clear whatever affection between you two has died a long time ago, and she told me you never gave her the credit she deserved. I get that she isn't exactly a reliable source of information when it comes to you, and I don't believe her, or trust her at all but I'd like to hear your side of the story. If you don't want to tell me, that's fine too, I get it's none of my business but I was simply curious."

Jareth sighs and sits down behind the desk.

"It's alright Sarah, I understand. One of the biggest reoccurring arguments I have with my ex-wife, centers around her opinion that I do not give her enough credit for the things she's done when we were married, whereas I feel she gives herself far too much. According to Angelica, it was her who rebuild the ruin the Labyrinth was when I came into power, while in reality, she may have had one or two good ideas while I was the one who did all the hard work. You must realize though, that although there was a time that I was fond of her, the reasons for our marriage were more practical than romantic. My behaviour is not always impeccable but truth be told, neither of us were good spouses to each other. However, I do believe that should I marry my soul mate, I shall behave quite differently than I did when I was still married to Angelica."

He accompanies those last words with such an intense gaze it makes me shiver.

He stands up again and walks over to me, similar to a lion stalking his prey.

"Sarah, why, pray tell, are you so interested in my love life?" he practically purrs.

"Do you wish to know what I am like as a lover?'

"Do not mistake genuine curiosity for attraction," I reply.

He smirks as he corners me and suddenly I feel like I'm back in the tunnels again, claiming the Labyrinth is a piece of cake.

"I do not mistake anything precious, the attraction is painfully clear."

"Jareth…" Why does my voice sound so breathless? Suddenly, the dark look in Jareth's eyes turns surprisingly tender.

Before I know it, we kiss.

It's a soft kiss, short and gentle. It also makes my knees buckle.

Afterwards, Jareth and I just stare at each other, both equally wide-eyed.

That's when I remember there was something else I wanted to ask Jareth, although why my brain reminds me of this after kissing him, is a mystery.

He raises his hand to gently caress my check and I lean into his touch before breaking the silence.

"Jareth, who is Jeromy?"

**Extra authors note: I'd like to take a moment to pay my respect to a musician I have loved since I was 12; Prince. Of course, I've chosen to name this chapter after part of a sentence in 'Let's go crazy and yes, the Prince Nelson Jareth refers to, is also a slight nod, as tributes. So yeah, I'm feeling somber and down since apparently, this year is the year every musician I love, dies **

**R.I.P. Prince Roger Nelson, 1958-2016**

**You will be missed.**

**\- Pgoodrichboggs: Oh yes, it sure will….**

**Honoria Granger: Hahahaha, you were the first one to guess and yes, you guessed correctly xD. While I've given the inspiration behind 2 characters away now (the ones based on Angelica and Prince Nelson), two or three other (very) minor characters that are based on real people will appear in the story. They'll be based on people who played a role in David's life. Let's see who guesses them correctly! **

**Wildcats2016: Well, they will end up as a couple but I prefer a more slow-burn romance between the two, to be honest ****. Besides, while there will be plenty of fluff, it's an adventure/fantasy story ;).**

**Thanks for taking time to read this, the reviews, favorites and follows every one!**


	14. Telling Lies

**In the dark Chapter 13: Telling Lies**

Sarah's PoV

Jareth freezes before removing his hand from my cheek and I mentally kick myself.

Why was the first thing I did after kissing him, blurting out another guy's name?

Seriously mouth, meet foot.

Jareth himself looks slightly dazed, and I wonder whether it is because of our kiss or because of my question. Probably both. He gives me a soft smile, probably because he notices my embarrassment. To my surprise, I see sadness in his eyes, though.

Jareth sits down and looks at me, raising an eyebrow.

"Jeromy is my brother. Why the sudden interest in my family tree?"

"Well…Angelica mentioned it…." I trail of hesitantly. First I mention his brothers' name five seconds after we kissed and now I'm talking about the bitch of an ex-wife. Lovely.

"Sarah, I can almost hear you think. Stop criticizing yourself too, by the way. While I admit having to answer questions about my brother while kissing you was not really something I had expected beforehand, I'm not insulted. Especially not since you still look dazed from what we just did," he smirks.

Smug bastard.

Then again, he did have a reason to be smug now.

"You looked slightly dazed too, " I tease back and the smug smile softens.

"Touché precious. Still, my question remains; why the sudden interest in my brother?"

"According to her, the question would make you squirm. I tried not to be curious Jareth, I really did but I know so little about you…"

"I don't blame you for being curious precious," Jareth responds and I realize I feel surprisingly relieved when his pet name for me returns. In fact, I only realize now that, as far as I know, he never called anyone else precious, perhaps excluding Angelica, once upon a long ago. He certainly doesn't use the pet name for Kate or Janet.

"As for making me squirm, Angelica is correct, for the subject of _my late_ brother is indeed painful."

Crap, so I've been unknowingly cavalier about his brother? His dead brother?

"It's alright precious, you didn't know," he quickly says when he notices my mortified expression.

"Jeromy is not dead, just….lost."

"When was the last time you saw him?" I ask softly.

Jareth swallows audibly. "About 15 years ago."

"So when I was 10," I say softly. "When my mother left."

Jareth gives a stiff nod.

"I'm sorry for bringing it up Jareth."

"You are forgiven precious. I realize I do not often speak about my life. As a king, I usually need to keep sensitive matters secrets and of course, have very few friends that are not intimidated by my status. I realize this may make me come across as…aloof. More aloof then I'd like to be. At least, with you."

"With me?"

Jareth smirks. "Regardless of what the gossiping staff might tell you, I do not make it a habit of kissing young women in my office. True, I prefer to use other chambers for these kinds of activities, but still…"

"Jareth!" I yell, blushing as I punch him on his shoulder.

"Assaulting the crown, are we?" He moves closer to me and strokes my cheek with his palm. I can't help but to lean into the soft caress.

"You have been the first woman I have kissed in a very long time, though," he confesses softly and my throat runs dry when I hear it.

We both jump when the clock suddenly chimes; thirteen strikes, the Underground's equivalent of midnight, and it reminds me of how tired I actually feel.

"Sarah, if you don't mind, I suggest to get some sleep."

He bids me goodnight with a kiss on my hand. The skin tingles afterwards.

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Angelica leaves the next day and frankly, we're all relieved. After all the meetings, she had given us nothing but a vague promise she would help but only when necessary, and only to avoid being bothered by Breva's minions herself.

Meanwhile, we have started to play the waiting game again; waiting for the meetings with Jareth's allies that are finally planned, and waiting for the spies to return with information from the outer lands. The whole situation reminds me of our Cold War with the USSR back home: one false move and all hell breaks loose. In the meantime, Janet and Kate regularly go above to collect salt if they're not busy being trained in combat and basic medicine, while spend my time in meetings the moment I'm not practicing.

Thankfully, there have been no further attacks on the Labyrinth itself, although I did started to notice that ever since that day, Jareth was starting to look more tired and drained than before. At first I simply blamed Angelica's visit for that, considering she gave us word of her visit shortly after the attacks but even now she's gone, he still looks unwell. Besides, thinking back on it, he already looked strained before Angelica was ever mentioned, right after Jareth, Louis and I took our measures to protect the damaged outer walls. Was the stress getting to him? Was something else draining his energy?

The moment I wish to ask him about it, Louis tells me to go to Jareth's office. Apparently, there was news.

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"Jareth, you're invited to the courts of Avalon! Is that seriously the _real_ Avalon?"

"Yes, that's where the court always meets," Jareth points out with a raised eyebrow. "I know the name is familiar to you because of those Arthurian legends but it does exist, yes. It is not going to be a fun meeting, though. On a normal day, it's a already a vipers' nest but now…"

He points at the invitation.

"Both the Seelie, Unseelie and former members of the Tribunal are invited," I read out loud before looking at Jareth.

"So, we're going to a meeting where everybody hates each other?"

"Indeed. Welcome to politics, I'd say," he nods and I snort.

"Is it even useful to go, then?" I ask.

Jareth shrugs. "I cannot ignore a summons. Besides, perhaps we can gain extra allies. Although everyone dislikes each other, we do have a common enemy, not unlike the previous uprising where the remains of the Tribunal collaborated with both courts to stop Chanlers' and Brevas' revolution."

"So, what happens next?" I ask. "Who will look after your affairs when you go to Avalon?"

"Usually Bartholomew, with help from Louis. Bartholomew choose to become a general, but he has a dukedom too."

I can't help but to be sidetracked by the information.

"Are you saying that Kate, Janet and I are being trained by a general who is also a duke?!"

"Nothing but the best for the Labyrinth' champion," Jareth says softly, not meeting my eyes. Something tells me it isn't just a protocol he mentions and my thoughts can't help but to go to our kiss we shared in his office the other day. Since then, we haven't kissed again, but I realize now we touch each other more than ever before. A brush of hands when I offer him maps when we plan possible strategies, his lips close to my ear the moment he bows over me as I sit at his desk…

We look at each other, the air tense around us.

I swallow heavily before glancing at the invitation in Jareth's hands. "Do you want…someone to come with you? Have some back-up?" My throat is hoarse when I speak. I tell myself it's simply because I'm concerned about his health and how fragile he looks- I really need to ask him about that – but somehow I cannot really convince myself.

Jareth looks at me with a small boyish grin. "Do you wish to come with me, Sarah?"

"Well, if you want me to, I'd love to….I mean, I didn't just ask you to invite me, I mean someone could come with you if you would prefer that…."

Jesus Christ, I don't think I've ever stuttered that much in a sentence in my entire life.

Jareth's grin grows bigger. "I'm asking _you_, precious."

His fond smile dims as he looks at me. "Do be prepared Sarah. Many members of both courts have not seen a human in years, so you'll probably cause a shock."

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Soon enough, we wave our friends goodbye and in a flash, we're gone and the familiar twist and turns of the Castle beyond the Labyrinth are replaced by statuesque cobbled streets. I look up and see a castle that reminds me of Walt Disney's palace.

"So, this is Avalon. Definitely lives up to hype. Care to give me a who's who?" I ask Jareth.

I can't believe I'm actually here though. Furthermore, I feel woefully unprepared to deal with this.

You _may _ have heard from Oberon and Titania, the Seelie king and queen," Jareth mentions and I snort.

"Seriously?"

"Yup, although I tend to call them aunt and uncle."

"You're actually related to the most famous fairy royalty ever?"

Jareth glares at me.

"That's _Fae_ royalty, thank you. Anyway, the daughter of the old Tribunal politician Meldore, Erycia, has taken on the role of deputy."

"She's the daughter Of Chanler's and Breva's _sane _ opponent?"

"She is indeed. Then, we've got dear Morrigan, the Unseelie queen. " Judging by the tone of his voice, he really doesn't like her.

Then, for the first time since arriving, I stop myself from getting sidetracked by the sights of Avalon and look at Jareth. _Really_ look at him.

He looks healthier, younger and more alive than he has looked for days. How? Why?

Suddenly I realize something: salt is bad for Fae. Jareth, a Fae, has started to look even more brittle than before directly after I threw kilos of salt on his lands. Are the two somehow connected, or is this too far-fetched?

Of course, I blurt this out the moment the thought crosses my mind. I would have thought I had learned my lesson of blurting everything what was on my mind without filtering it after I had accidentally wished my brother away, but apparently not. Oh well, _what's said is said_, right?

I notice a brief look of fear crosses Jareth's eyes before he swallows.

"Not here. I shall give you answers when we reach our quarters."

The rest of our walk to the palace is tensed. Jareth refuses to look at me, probably because he knows I noticed he didn't outright reject my statements.

That means I at least guessed partially correctly.

I also notice how he clenches his hands and sense his apprehension. He hesitates slightly before entering the palace.

I never have seen him act so hesitantly. Did I do the unimaginable and actually made the Goblin king nervous?


	15. Quicksand

**In the dark Chapter 14: Quicksand**

**I don't own the Labyrinth**

Jareth's PoV

While Sarah looks around in awe, I simply stroll along, lost in thought. While I didn't look forward to admitting Sarah _was_ right about the use of salt on my lands and the effect it was having on me, it was the least of my worries to admit this to her. While I was charmed that she was willing to accompany me, this place was a snake pit and I needed to keep my wits.

I never liked dealing with all of this, hence why I never go to Seelie court meetings unless I have a very good reason to do so. The only upside is that Sarah is too distracted by the beauty of the castle to ask the kind of questions I have no desire to give answers too.

After being introduced – Sarah is introduced as "guest" – I sit down. The entire Seelie and UnSeelie Court has shown up, as well as Erycia and a few other members of the Tribunal I vaguely recognize. Interesting turn up, everybody actually bothered to come, I think by myself.

Of course, the moment Sarah and I enter the court room, we attract a lot of attention and Oberon has to yell silence twice before the muted discussion stops. It doesn't stop us from being the centre of attention in the room, though, and I force back the desire to roll my eyes.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have summoned the courts to address the rumours of a possible return of Lady Breva. I would like to put these rumours to rest," Erycia opens the meeting. The urge to roll my eyes grows even stronger. While I understand it's far easier to ignore and deny the problem instead of facing it, it annoys me that Erycia flat out denies the trouble I'm facing. Sarah doesn't look too pleased either.

"There is absolutely no proof that Breva and her followers are planning to escape the outer lands…"Erycia continues before being interrupted by the footman who had introduced us minutes ago. We turn around hastily and notice the fae has been covered by Breva's signature black magic. He's pale as a ghost as the black cloud encapsulates him, while dark lines are covering his skin in a rapid pace.

"He's being possessed," I hiss and Sarah reacts immediately by throwing salt over him.

The cloud hisses and draws back, before exploding in small pieces with a bang.

Damn, I had no desire to introduce Sarah to the court so soon. Then again, good to know the dark clouds clearly cannot handle salt. Hopefully this knowledge does not reach Breva.

"Well, there you have your proof," aunt Titiana mutters and I snort. The footman gasps before muttering his thanks, looking shocked. When it seems clear the fae is unharmed, I look at Erycia again, interested in what she will say now that proof of Breva's actions has shown up right in front of her.

"Who threw the salt?" Erycia asks, and I give Sarah a warning look, letting her know it isn't a wise idea to draw the courts' attention to her.

"So, there was no proof Breva is planning to escape," I ask the court rhetorically, driving the attention away from the question regarding the footman's rescuer.

Erycia looks chastised. "Clearly, I have to swallow my words, Your Majesty."

I nod. "Additionally, I have proof that Breva is planning to gain more power by attracting new minions."

She looks at me. "This is news. How?"

"She sends her magical lackeys to the Above. I stopped one of their attacks in the land of New York City, but I do not know if there have been any other attacks and if so, how many."

"What do you think Breva is up to?"

"Brainwashing humans, I suppose."

At those words, Sarah puts her hand in mine, reminding me that Erycia and I are not the only ones in the room. While I may sound calm, the brainwashing of humans is always a sore subject to me because of what happened to Jeromy, but the feeling of Sarah's small hand in mine manages to calm me down tremendously.

"Do you have any proof?" a familiar voice cut through the tension.

Great, our second reunion in a month. Did I offend someone in a former life in order to have deserved this?

"After all, the reason why our previous discussions died down, was because of a lack of proof," my dear ex-wife Angelica continues and I fight the urge to groan. I didn't want everyone to know about our meetings and Angelica knows this too, hence why she can't resist the opportunity to make me squirm.

Erycia raises her eyebrow. "Proof? Do you wish to see another footman attacked before you're convinced?"

Thankfully, the leader of the remains of the Tribunal responds before I have a chance to react. Something tells me that she at least realizes that Angelica's remarks have more to do with our personal history than with Breva's threat.

"What interests me though, is who threw that substance on the footman to save him. Clearly it has to be a human for only they can touch substance we cannot touch without endangering ourselves," Morrigan points out.

Brilliant. I should have known that bitch would ask the difficult questions.

With a small bit of magic, I make sure my voice rings inside Sarah's head, making sure nobody else hears me.

"Please believe me when I say this solely to protect you, precious," I say, directing my voice, before making sure I wear my haughtiest look.

"Yes, the girl who has accompanied me tonight is human, and she threw it. It's a thank you for wishing to me so the dark magic couldn't catcher, thus alerting me."

"You sound remarkably grateful. I'm surprised you didn't sense the black magic yourself, though."

I raise an eyebrow. "Before that footman was attacked, many people here doubted Breva was even up to something. Not sensing the dark magic in the Aboveground was no particular fault of mine, since none of us sensed it here. Additionally, I reward those silly little humans who serve me. Doesn't any ruler do that?"

"Touché," Morrigan nods and I think for one moment I'm out of the woods, before making the mistake to look at Sarah. She doesn't exactly look pleased and I fear I will get an earful of her tonight.

Lovely, just what I need.

The moment the meeting ends and we're in the twin room we're sharing, I make sure it is magically soundproofed in order to avoid Sarah's yelling, which will undoubtedly com. Yup, she glares at me. Here we go.

"So, just a silly little human, am I?"

"Sarah, if I had told everyone you were the Champion of the Labyrinth, you wouldn't have been safe anymore," I sigh while pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Better to let them think you're nothing special instead of them taking a special interest in you, trying to use you and dispose you afterwards."

She walks up to me and I'd lie if I'd say the sight of those big green eyes didn't do things to my black little heart.

"Do you really mean that Jareth? Were you simply being…protective?"

How can she doubt me after all this time? Seriously?!

"Damn it Sarah! Do you really believe you mean so little to me?!"

The thought of how glad I am I soundproofed the room earlier crosses my mind briefly as Sarah jumps in my arms and kisses me. Her lips nearly bruise mine in our enthusiasm. I groan as she tugs on my hair and I receive a whimper as I explore her mouth with my tongue. The feeling of her warm and inviting body pushed against mine does funny things to my insides. The moment I reach out and caress her behind though, she stops kissing me to catch her breath, and I pout.

She laughs at my expression and part of me wishes to capture that smile in one of my magical spheres to keep it with me forever.

Her gaze softens when she looks into my eyes before gently stroking my cheek.

"I believe you Jareth, and I trust you," she says softly. "I'm sorry about yelling at you, but I am worried about you, though."

She takes a shaky breath before looking at me again, and I got the feeling she manages to look _though_ me.

"Does throwing salt on your kingdom really affect you? Am I hurting you without even knowing it?"

**Ok, one day later than planned, I'll admit. Happy belated birthday David. You're being very sorely missed.**


	16. If you can see me

In the dark Chapter 15: If you can see me

**I hope everyone has enjoyed the (Easter) holidays! I don't own the Labyrinth. If I did, they wouldn't be working on a reboot/sequal/whatever now….**

Sarah's PoV

Jareth swallows while looking at me, and I realize this is the second time in a row I've seen him nervous. Either I'm _asking all the right questions_ to make him squirm or this place unsettles him. Or both.

"I'm glad I soundproofed this room," he says with a sigh.

"So….yes?" All I want to know is if I'm hurting him without my knowledge or not, but jeez, this is like pulling teeth.

Jareth nods.

"My magic is tied to the Labyrinth in order to properly govern it. Therefore, the moment the walls are magically damaged, it makes me feel….bruised."

"Oh Jareth, I'm sorry! Why didn't you tell me? I would have never damaged the lands if I'd known!"

The monarch raises an eyebrow as he looks at me.

"It's alright Sarah, I'm not mad at you. I was the one who told you to do so, after all."

"Then why make the suggestion?"

Jareth glances down at his feet, before meeting my eyes. He suddenly looks very old, and it causes me to realize that he's probably older than I'll ever be, even though he doesn't look a day over 35.

"Because I disliked the attack on the labyrinthine walls far more than the sensation salt gives me."

I look into his eyes and see the truth reflected – the damage to the labyrinth genuinely must have hurt him. The fact that he's even willing to admit all of this, touches me as well, and I gently cover his hand with mine as an unspoken response.

"Sarah, if you have any, and I do mean any, other idea about how we can battle the dark magic Breva has unleashed with the clouds, rather than using salt? Without the dark magic, it's simple battle and warfare that does not ask for hours of strategic discussion, but this…"

Now it's my time to sigh. I don't like it – at all – that I'm causing him pain, but compared to what we're up against, me throwing salt on the Goblin Kingdom's borders, is really the lesser of two evils.

"If I had any other solution, I would have given it Jareth," I say softly. I feel helpless and I hate it.

"Is there any other way I can help the Labyrinth?" I can't help but to ask.

"If I only I knew what the power of words meant…"

Jareth gives me a small smile when he hears my mumbling.

"Precious, the answer to that question is so obvious, you're overlooking it."

"If it is so obvious, why don't you tell me?"

"Now precious, where would be the fun in that?" My annoyance clearly shakes Jareth out of his somber mood as he smirks at me. I glare at him.

"What do you think 'I wish the Goblin king would take me away right now' is? And before you start fretting, I can't wish myself away, now can I?" The wish I made to send Toby away, is spoken with a high-pitched voice and my frown deepens.

"I do not sound like that. Really, I love how you go from adult to kid sometimes "

"You _love _that, precious? Do tell."

When he sees my frown, he sighs. "I was just joking Sarah, please focus."

Despite my annoyance, I try to focus on his words. My first idea is to call my words that lead to our first meeting, a wish, but then again, I certainly learned that things aren't what they look like in the Labyrinth.

When the penny drops, my eyes grow big and I stare at Jareth.

"Did I cast a spell? When I wished Toby, I mean?"

The king smiles at me. "Yes Sarah, you indeed have a remarkable skill for spell-casting. In fact, that's exactly what 'the power of words' means. You could use some tutoring to improve and shape that talent, though. Still, your talent for this kind of magic is clear. That alone is curious, even more so considering you're human."

I sit down besides him, flabbergasted.

"I can do magic? Could you teach me?"

"I could teach you the basics. However, since everyone has his or her own unique magic, I can _only_ teach you the basics, which is what I meant when I suggested tutoring. You need to learn how to master it yourself, I'm afraid. Additionally, I must warn you Sarah. While you do have talent for spell-casting, I would advise against using it in battle against a skilled Fae."

"Well, that sucks. Still, the fact that I have magic at all, is pretty cool, I guess. Any theory on why I ended up having it, even though humans usually don't have magic skills? Or was I born with it?"

Jareth stands up and paces the floors.

"I recognize that brand of magic everywhere Sarah. It's Labyrinthine. The Labyrinth gave it after…gave it when you left. "

Apparently my win is still a sore subject.

"So it was some kind of prize? But if you knew, why didn't you tell me?"

Jareth glares at me.

"I can understand you're not used to explaining why you do the things you do, Jareth, you're a king after all," I say, softening my words. "Still, I believe I can be a bigger help in the fight against Breva the moment I know my own skills."

My words seem to soften the mercurial king a little, and he sits down next to me again.

"Well, if tonight is the night for being bluntly honest anyway, it's because I barely knew more than you, precious. I realized you had some inate skill already, when you wished Toby away. Without any natural talent, you could have been gifted a hundred times the amount of magic you have now, and it still would have been in vain. Not even magic can give a spark to light what simply isn't there, you see. Anyway, your innate talent has lain dormant for most of your life, until you ended up in my kingdom for the first time. After you left the Labyrinth, it awarded you with a little extra power so your magical skills would come to life a little quicker when presented with a magical situation again. However, this is all I know. Furthermore, I cannot master your magic for you Sarah, that's something you have to do alone, and discovering you have magic yourself, is usually part of the mastering, hence why I did not tell you this sooner."

I nod. While I'm not thrilled he hasn't told me all of this until now, I'm glad he actually explains his reasons. Trying to pay as much attention as possible, has robbed me of the last of my strength, though.

"So, what's our plan for tomorrow?" I ask yawning.

"Make sure we recruit as much allies as possible to provide an united front against the outer lands?"

"Exactly my plan, precious. In the meantime, my spies are on the lookout, and we can do some more strategic planning when they return. The last thing I wish to do is head straight into battle without any preparation. Right now, however, I do wish to get some sleep."

"You're right, it has been a long day."

I smile at him softly before standing up to walk to my own bedroom.

"Good night Jareth."

He returns my smile, winks and I blush. After all, now that I'm not being distracted by discussions of warfare, what on earth was I thinking, kissing him like that?!

I quickly walk to my room, annoyed at how flustered I feel. I can't get the passionate kiss out of mind, though.

**Thanks for the reviews Honoria! As for the other readers: thank you for reading! I understand the tendency to lurk, I do it as well, but still, feedback would be nice and highly appreciated****.**


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